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Ethereum dev must face jury for allegedly helping North Korea evade sanctions
29.1.2021
Virgil Griffith, a crypto developer accused of helping North Korea evade sanctions through speaking at a Pyongyang crypto conference in 2019, must now face a jury
Iran Finds Scapegoat In ‘Easy Victim’ Bitcoin as Officials Shut Down 1,600 Mining Farms
27.1.2021
As Iran experiences rolling electricity blackouts, the country’s authorities have responded to the crisis by targeting bitcoin mining farms. The sanctions-hit country’s campaign against miners has seen a total of 1,600 mining centers being shut down. This Iranian blitz on cryptocurrency...
EU Seeks to Curb Reliance on US Dollar After American Sanctions Exposed Financial Infrastructure Vulnerabilities
19.1.2021
The European Union (EU) is reportedly planning to reduce its reliance on the U.S. dollar-based financial system, after American sanctions on Iran exposed the vulnerabilities of the bloc’s financial infrastructure. According to officials, who are now determined to challenge the dollar’s...
Gold Exceeds U.S. Dollars in Russia’s Reserves as Putin Focuses on De-Dollarization
17.1.2021
Russia is now holding more gold than U.S. dollars in its reserves for the first time, according to the latest report by Russia’s central bank. Russian President Vladimir Putin has made de-dollarization his country’s key policy to reduce the Russian economy’s exposure to the U.S....
183 Violations: US Government Fines Bitgo for Allowing Users to Bypass Sanctions With Cryptocurrency
1.1.2021
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.”...
BitGo to Pay $93K to US Treasury to Settle 183 ‘Apparent’ Sanctions Violations
30.12.2020
Bitcoin custodian firm BitGo agreed to pay $93,830 in a settlement pact with the U.S. Treasury over 183 “apparent violations” of multiple sanctions programs
BitGo settles with US Treasury over 'apparent' sanctions violations
30.12.2020
The settlement repeats the Treasury's message that crypto companies will need to know their customers
Central Bank of Iran Official Says Cryptocurrencies Have ‘Made No Contribution to Bypassing Sanctions’
28.12.2020
An official with the Central Bank of Iran (CBI) has claimed that cryptocurrencies have played no significant role in Iran’s sanction hit economy. According to Mohammadreza Mani Yekta, the deputy head of CBI’s office for payment systems, “studies” have shown that digital...
Ethereum Developer Virgil Griffith Will Likely Face Trial Next September
23.12.2020
Ethereum developer Virgil Griffith is likely headed to trial on charges of violating international sanctions, after a Tuesday hearing where a federal judge clarified what's being argued
Millions of Venezuelans Voted via Blockchain in an Unofficial Anti-Maduro Referendum
17.12.2020
An unofficial referendum pursued by the Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaidó took place over the weekend in Venezuela powered by a blockchain platform, while at the same time, parliamentary elections called by the president Nicolás Maduro also had its scenario in a widely criticized...
Virgil Griffith Still Doesn’t Know What Exact Crimes He Is Accused of, Attorneys Say
11.12.2020
Attorneys for Virgil Griffith want the U.S. government to specify the charges he’s facing, rather than a broad claim that he violated U.S. sanctions
Venezuela ramps up Bitcoin payments for imports from Iran and Turkey
10.12.2020
Venezuela President Nicolás Maduro claims the country will “use all the cryptocurrencies in the world” to bypass U.S. sanctions
Venezuelan Crypto-Friendly Freelancing Platform Emerges Amid Economic Crisis, US Sanctions
10.12.2020
More cryptocurrency solutions keep appearing on the scene for Venezuelan residents as U.S. sanctions weigh on Nicolás Maduro’s government, including heavy restrictions on the circulation of foreign exchange transactions, driving people to find on crypto a way to circumvent such hurdles...
Illegal Bitcoin use is down, but privacy wallet laundering is up, says analytics firm
9.12.2020
2020 has apparently been the year of privacy wallets, as more exchanges onboard KYC requirements
Venezuela Pays for Imports From Iran and Turkey With Bitcoin to Evade Sanctions
9.12.2020
Venezuela is reportedly paying companies in allied countries, including Iran and Turkey, with bitcoin to mitigate the effects of U.S. sanctions on its economy. The Venezuelan government is also planning to increase bitcoin usage now that it has a dedicated cryptocurrency mining center. Venezuela...
Unbanked Hong Kong Chief Carrie Lam: “I Have Piles of Cash at Home”
4.12.2020
Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam says she is currently unbanked and keeps piles of cash stashed at her home courtesy of US sanctions. Alongside 14 Chinese and Hong Kong officials, Lam has been slapped with punitive measures that effectively cut her off from the banking system. The US government...
SWIFT enables instant cross-border payments
3.12.2020
This seeming fight or flight response to blockchain’s rising ubiquity may be “too little, too late.”
Cubans Turn to Bitcoin, Ethereum and Dogecoin as US Sanctions Bite
3.12.2020
Another report has exposed how Cubans are sidestepping United States sanctions by using bitcoin (BTC) and altcoin remittance solutions – with conventional wire transfers all but impossible between USA-aligned nations and the communist state.
A report from Deutsche Welle’s Spanish-language service...
Venezuelan army starts mining Bitcoin to make ends meet
30.11.2020
The Venezuelan army turns to crypto mining as the country's economy collapses
Venezuelan Army Starts Mining Bitcoin for ‘Unblockable Income’
30.11.2020
The Venezuelan Army has inaugurated a cryptocurrency mining center with bitcoin mining equipment aimed at generating “unblockable income,” as the country attempts to bypass U.S. sanctions. The crypto mining center has the support of the country’s crypto regulator, Sunacrip....