Sanctions

Polynetwork Hacker (Adam Levine/CoinDesk)
Crypto Crime Hit All-Time High of $20.6B in 2022: Chainalysis
Kim Grauer, the blockchain sleuthing firm's head of research, told CoinDesk TV sanctioned activity and hacking were the driving forces behind the rise in illicit transaction volumes last year.
Polynetwork Hacker (Adam Levine/CoinDesk)

CDCROP: Darkweb, darknet and hacking concept. Hacker with cellphone. Man using dark web with smartphone. Mobile phone fraud, online scam and cyber security threat. Scammer using stolen cell. (Getty Images)
Crypto Theft Rose in 2022 as Scams, Ransomware Bounty Fell: Chainalysis
2022 became a year of crypto thefts, but illicit transactions still account only for a meager share of all crypto activity, Chainalysis says.
CDCROP: Darkweb, darknet and hacking concept. Hacker with cellphone. Man using dark web with smartphone. Mobile phone fraud, online scam and cyber security threat. Scammer using stolen cell. (Getty Images)

CDCROP: Free Alex Pertsev poster spotted outside the courthouse (Jack Schickler/CoinDesk)
Tornado Cash Dev’s Criminal Case in Europe May Hinge on Laptop Access
Dutch prosecutors now have access to Alexey Pertsev’s computer and are using it to probe key details including governance and profit-making at the privacy service.
CDCROP: Free Alex Pertsev poster spotted outside the courthouse (Jack Schickler/CoinDesk)

CDCROP: Spinning mixer in water creating bubbles (Getty Images)
Sanctioned Mixer Blender Re-Launched as Sinbad, Elliptic Says
Operators of Blender.io might have launched Sinbad after Blender was sanctioned for processing North Korean hackers’ money, blockchain intel firm said.
CDCROP: Spinning mixer in water creating bubbles (Getty Images)

(IherPhoto/Getty Images)
Coins of War: How Crypto Keeps Feeding Russia's War Despite Sanctions
Russian troops in Ukraine are receiving millions in crypto donations. CoinDesk investigates how these funds are flowing and talks to fundraisers.
(IherPhoto/Getty Images)

U.S. Treasury Department (Nikhilesh De/CoinDesk)
Bitzlato Co-Founder Released After Arrest in Moscow, Pledges Relaunch of Seized Exchange
“I could launch the exchange from my apartment," Anton Shkurenko said of the exchange multinational authorities shut down in January. The Bitzlato team has retained most of its users’ funds and could resume operations quickly, he said.
U.S. Treasury Department (Nikhilesh De/CoinDesk)

U.S. Treasury Department building in Washington
US Blacklists Bitcoin, Ether Addresses Tied to Russian Sanctions-Evasion Efforts
The addresses are linked to Russia's arms exports intermediary, according to OFAC.
U.S. Treasury Department building in Washington

CDCROP: Laptop hacker (Towfiqu Barbhuiya/Unsplash)
Raydium Exchange Exploiter Sends $2.7M to Tornado Cash
The exploiter sent a total of 42 transactions amounting to 1,774.5 ETH on Thursday.
CDCROP: Laptop hacker (Towfiqu Barbhuiya/Unsplash)

CDCROP: Bitcoin, 100 dollars, Russian Flag (Getty Images)
Crypto 2023: It's Sanctions Season
With state governments increasing financial sanctions in 2022, crypto services might become as cautious about "risky" users as banks have been traditionally, says Anna Baydakova.
CDCROP: Bitcoin, 100 dollars, Russian Flag (Getty Images)

CDCROP: Free Alex Pertsev poster spotted outside the courthouse (Jack Schickler/CoinDesk)
‘We Are All F****d’: The Developers of Tornado Cash and the Future of Crypto
The arrest of a web developer for the now-sanctioned currency mixer Tornado Cash has raised questions about whom states can hold responsible when bad actors use software to commit crimes. That's why Alexey Pertsev is one of CoinDesk’s Most Influential 2022.
CDCROP: Free Alex Pertsev poster spotted outside the courthouse (Jack Schickler/CoinDesk)