BitGo to Pay $93K to US Treasury to Settle 183 ‘Apparent’ Sanctions Violations
Bitgo failed to stop people in Cuba, Iran and Syria, among other sanctioned places, from using its non-custodial wallet service, the U.S. said.
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The U.S. Office of Foreign Assets Control has fined Bitgo for failing to prevent users in sanctioned countries from using its crypto wallet service. The agency says Bitgo processed 183 cryptocurrency transactions that were “apparent violations of multiple sanctions programs.” US Treasury Alleges Bitgo Allows Users to Bypass Sanctions The U.S. Department of the Treasury announced on Wednesday that the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) has entered into a $98,830 settlement with Bitgo “for 183 apparent violations of multiple sanctions programs.” Bitgo offers....
The settlement repeats the Treasury's message that crypto companies will need to know their customers. The U.S. Treasury has settled with BitGo over charges that it facilitated users in sanctioned areas to transact using its crypto wallet services between 2015 and 2019.BitGo, an institutional crypto custodian service and wallet operator, did not do due diligence in blocking wallet users based in Crimea, Cuba, Iran, Sudan and Syria, said the Treasury's Office of Foreign Asset Controls in a Dec. 30 announcement. OFAC said of BitGo:"BitGo failed to exercise due caution or care for its....
On October 11, the U.S. Treasury department’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) and the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) announced that it has settled charges with the cryptocurrency exchange Bittrex. The crypto exchange was accused of sanctions violations and failure to “implement effective sanctions compliance controls” between March 2014 and December 2017. Crypto Exchange Bittrex Charged With US Sanctions Violations, Washington State Trading Platform Agrees to Settle The Washington State-based crypto asset exchange Bittrex has been charged by FinCEN and OFAC over....
When the United States first began going after crypto companies for violating its economic sanctions rules, it didnt exactly start with a bang.In December, the Treasury Departments Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) announced a settlement with crypto wallet provider BitGo after the Palo Alto firm failed to prevent persons apparently located in the Crimea region, Iran, Sudan, Cuba and Syria from using its non-custodial secure digital wallet management service. The penalty for the 183 apparent violations of U.S. sanctions? An underwhelming $98,830.This was the first published OFAC....
The U.S. Department of the Treasury says that the growing use of crypto assets challenges the efficacy of American sanctions. “We are mindful of the risk that, if left unchecked, these digital assets and payments systems could harm the efficacy of our sanctions,” the Treasury Department explained. Treasury Says Crypto Threatens Efficacy of U.S. Sanctions The U.S. Department of the Treasury released its 2021 Sanctions Review Monday. “Technological innovations such as digital currencies, alternative payment platforms, and new ways of hiding cross-border transactions all....