Sanctions
DPRK Facilitators Charged and Sanctioned, Shedding Light on North Korean Crypto Money Laundering Processes
On April 24, 2023, the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) sanctioned three individuals operating…
北朝鮮の協力者が制裁対象に指定、マネロンのプロセスが明らかに
2023年4月24日、米国財務省外国資産管理局（Office of Foreign Assets Control :OFAC）は、大量破壊兵器やミサイルへの資金供与とみられる北朝鮮の暗号資産マネーロンダリングに関与し、中国で活動していた3名を経済制裁の対象に指定しました。制裁対象となった3名のうち、制裁対象リストに暗号資産アドレスが含まれるのは2名です。また、米国法務省（Department of Justice: DOJ）は、そのうちの1名を同日公開された訴状にて起訴しました。 本ブログ記事では、3名の被疑者と制裁措置の詳細について説明し、北朝鮮による暗号資産のマネーロンダリングのプロセスについての新たな情報を取り上げます。 告訴及び制裁措置の対象となったのは何者か？ OFACによって経済制裁の対象となったのは、Wu Huihui（Wu）、Cheng Hung Man（Cheng）、Sim Hyon Sop（Sim）の3名です。このうち、Simはマネーロンダリングの疑いで、DOJに起訴されています。 Wuは、中国で活動する暗号資産OTC（相対取引）トレーダーであり、北朝鮮のサイバー犯罪組織であるLazarus Groupと活動する北朝鮮のアクターのために、窃取された数百万ドル相当の暗号資産を法定通貨に換えていました。 Chengは、香港で活動するOTCトレーダーで、Wuの活動に直接協力していました。ダミー会社を使い、ChengとWuは、北朝鮮が米国の経済制裁をかいくぐり、暗号資産（その多くはハッキングで盗難されたもの）を法定通貨に換えるのを支援しました。…
Chinese Chemical Businesses, Latin American Drug Cartel Associates Charged and Sanctioned for Bitcoin-based Sale of Fentanyl Precursors
On April 14, 2023, the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) sanctioned individuals and entities in China and Latin America…
The U.S. and U.K. Sanction Members of Russia-Based Trickbot Cybercrime Gang
Our data shows ransomware strains related to Trickbot extorted at least $724M worth of crypto, making Trickbot the 2nd highest earning cybercrime group.
Challenges and Opportunities in Cryptocurrency Sanctions Compliance and How Blockchain Analysis Can Help
This year, the research team at Chainalysis found that illicit activity in crypto reached an all-time high in 2022. Why?…
The Chainalysis 2023 Crypto Crime Report Preview (Part 2 of 2): Podcast Ep. 42
Episode 42 of the Public Key podcast is here! In this episode, we are back for the second part of…
2023 Crypto Crime Trends: Illicit Cryptocurrency Volumes Reach All-Time Highs Amid Surge in Sanctions Designations and Hacking
Every year, we publish our estimates of illicit cryptocurrency activity to demonstrate the power of blockchains’ transparency – these kinds…
How 2022’s Biggest Cryptocurrency Sanctions Designations Affected Crypto Crime
Agencies like the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) of the U.S. Department of the Treasury and its equivalents in…
[CHAINALYSIS PODCAST EPISODE 23] How Pro-Russian Groups In Ukraine Are Soliciting Cryptocurrency Donations
Episode 23 of Public Key, the Chainalysis podcast, is here! In this episode, we talk with Andrew Fierman, Head of…
OFAC Sanctions Iranian Nationals For Their Role in Cyber Attacks, Including Ransomware
Yesterday, the U.S. Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) added ten Iranian nationals and two businesses to its Specially…
Understanding Tornado Cash, Its Sanctions Implications, and Key Compliance Questions
The crypto mixer Tornado Cash is a decentralized, non-custodial smart contract. This makes sanctions compliance complicated—here's why.
Trolls Have Sent an Estimated $52,000 in Small Tornado Cash Payments Following OFAC Designation
Earlier this week, Tornado Cash became the second ever mixer and first ever DeFi protocol to be sanctioned by OFAC.…
OFAC Sanctions Popular Ethereum Mixer Tornado Cash for Laundering Crypto Stolen by North Korea’s Lazarus Group
Today, the U.S. Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) sanctioned the popular Ethereum mixer Tornado Cash, adding it to…
$2 Million and Counting: How Dozens of Pro-Russian Groups Are Using Cryptocurrency Donations to Fund the War in Ukraine
Pro-Russian social media accounts have collected millions of dollars in crypto donations since the start of the war in Ukraine. Here's how.
Crypto Mixer Usage Reaches All-time Highs in 2022, With Nation State Actors and Cybercriminals Contributing Significant Volume
Crypto mixers are a go-to tool for cybercriminals on the blockchain. We find that in 2022, crypto addresses tied to…