Search
Russia scraps plans for a national cryptocurrency exchange
29.5.2023
Russia will continue to create new crypto platforms in response to sanctions, State Duma official Anatoly Aksakov said
Belarus Seeks to Deepen Ties With BRICS, SCO, ASEAN — Pushes for Economic Union With Zero Restrictions
29.5.2023
Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko says his country’s response to sanctions is to deepen relations with the BRICS, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). “The creation of a comprehensive economic union remains...
BRICS Bank in Membership Talks With Saudi Arabia, Report Reveals
29.5.2023
The development bank set up by the BRICS bloc is negotiating with Saudi Arabia on accepting the country as a member, according to a press report. The talks come as the bank, created as an alternative to similar institutions led by the West, seeks to expand its funding options amid sanctions on...
Lawyers Challenging U.S. Tornado Cash Sanctions Say Free Speech Is at Stake
25.5.2023
Open source software isn’t property, and current sanctions laws are ill-equipped to handle this, lawyers argue
Coinbase-backed motion makes 4 key arguments to lift Tornado Cash sanctions
25.5.2023
According to the filing, the Treasury lacks the authority to prohibit Tornado Cash and transactions associated with it
Putin Wants Limit on Currency Purchases for Russians Dealing With Foreigners
24.5.2023
Russian citizens and firms doing business abroad may soon be restricted in the amount of foreign currency they are allowed to acquire, on order from Vladimir Putin. Russia’s head of state now wants his government to cap such purchases on the domestic forex market. President Putin Orders Russian...
U.S. Treasury Sanctions North Korean-Owned Binance Wallets; Says Entities Used Funds to Support WMD Programs
23.5.2023
The Binance-hosted wallets received more than $2 million worth of various cryptocurrencies that were then sent on to North Korean entities, OFAC alleged
EU Spokesperson: Russian Banks Will Not Be Reconnected to SWIFT Anytime Soon
23.5.2023
The European Union (EU) has no intention of allowing Russian banks to be reconnected to the Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunications (SWIFT) banking system anytime soon. Peter Stano, spokesperson for external affairs of the EU, stated that these restrictions can only be lifted...
De-dollarization Has Already Started, Says Russia’s Foreign Minister Lavrov
21.5.2023
The process of de-dollarization has practically started, according to Russian Minister of Foreign Affairs Sergey Lavrov. Moscow’s top diplomat is convinced that Russia’s position on the matter is shared by many other countries while the West is undermining the role of the U.S. currency. Russia’s...
Chinese Autonomous Region of Guanxi to Adopt Digital Yuan in Push for ASEAN Trade Integration
20.5.2023
The Chinese autonomous region of Guanxi, located in the south of China, will implement a wide adoption plan for the digital yuan, that includes a push for using it as a trade currency with countries part of the ASEAN bloc. This pilot plan looks to be part of the experimentation to step up the usage...
US Expands ‘Unprecedented Global Sanctions’ on Russia With Over 300 New Targets
20.5.2023
The U.S. has imposed new sanctions on Russia “in coordination with the G7 and other international partners.” Among the targets are “the channels Russia uses to acquire critical technology, its future energy extraction capabilities, and Russia’s financial services sector.”...
U.S. Sanctions Watchdog Alleges Russia-Linked Crypto Wallet Processed $5M
19.5.2023
An Irish national helped wealthy Russians evade sanctions and hide money in UAE, OFAC alleged Friday
Venezuela’s President Declares Inevitable Shift Away From US Dollar in De-Dollarization Push
19.5.2023
Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro has announced that Venezuela will shift away from using U.S. dollars in trade, emphasizing that the de-dollarization process is “inevitable.” He described: “This is the path of Venezuela and the path of a free economy where currencies are not used...
IRS, Chainalysis Helping Ukraine Track Russians Using Crypto to Evade Sanctions
14.5.2023
The U.S. Internal Revenue Service (IRS) said it’s working closely with Ukraine to help it trace crypto transactions of Russian sanctions evaders. The agency is providing the Ukrainians access to a Chainalysis tool as well as specialized training to Ukrainian law enforcement. IRS Offers Ukraine...
IRS Trains Ukraine to Track Russian Cryptocurrency Activity – Here's What You Need to Know
12.5.2023
The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) is offering virtual and in-person training sessions on tracing blockchain transactions for Ukrainian officials.
The criminal investigation division of the agency has joined hands with blockchain analysis firm Chainalysis and Ukrainian investigators to trace...
IRS, Chainalysis and Ukraine Targeting Russian Crypto Sanctions Evaders Jointly
11.5.2023
The U.S. Internal Revenue Service and crypto investigations company Chainalysis are working with Ukraine to target Russian oligarchs using crypto to evade sanctions
Privacy Project Railgun DAO Adopts Chainway’s ‘Proof of Innocence’ Tool
8.5.2023
Railgun DAO’s new functionality – initially developed by the developer Chainway for use on Tornado Cash – could allow users to mathematically demonstrate that coins involved in transactions did not come from blacklisted addresses. Digital Currency Group, owner of CoinDesk, is an investor in Railgun...
China is developing AI without US chips: Here's how
8.5.2023
U.S. sanctions have limited China’s access to the latest chip technology to develop AI, but local companies are not letting this stop them
Digital Assets for 1 Billion Rubles Issued in Russia in a Month
7.5.2023
Platforms authorized by the Russian government issued digital assets worth around a billion rubles in April, the local press reported. The spike in the volume has been attributed to Russian companies experimenting with new financial instruments amid limited access to traditional capital. Russia’s...
Binance Reportedly Investigated in US for Russia Sanctions Violations
7.5.2023
Cryptocurrency exchange Binance is facing a U.S. probe over suspected violations of sanctions against Russia, according to a media report. The inquiry is looking into whether the trading platform was used by Russians to circumvent financial restrictions imposed over Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine....