OFAC
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Tether has changed its mind about complying with US sanctions laws, and it says its doing so “voluntarily”
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“Iran Unchained” launched a new version of its grant platform to make donations to activists easier
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Blockworks spoke with Matt Cutler, CEO of Blocknative — which exited the Ethereum relayer space last week — about the relayer puzzle and its implications for Ethereum
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Two founders are charged with money laundering a week after a judge opted to back up sanctions against Tornado Cash
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The inclusion of Roman Semenov on the sanctions list marks an escalation of the US government’s previous investigations into the crypto mixer
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The court’s decision follows opposition by the US Department of Justice, which argued that Bittrex’s request for withdrawals was premature
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OFAC found that while Poloniex did not voluntarily disclose its apparent violations of sanctions programs, the infractions were not considered to be especially severe or harmful
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The motion seeks to reopen Tornado Cash for all US-based citizens in a bid to regain what the plaintiffs, including Coinbase, are calling violations of their Constitutional rights
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The crypto mixer, created in 2017, may have facilitated the laundering of 152,000 BTC, according to Europol
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Recent turmoil in the crypto market has accelerated the need for tougher crypto regulation, according to US think tank analysts
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“Anyone considering interacting with the Tornado Cash wallets should first call a lawyer, and be prepared to hear no,” a partner at law firm Morrison Cohen said
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Tornado Cash’s inflows fell 68% in the 30 days after sanctions, while average monthly inflows into Russia-based Garantex following its sanctioned designation more than doubled
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Tornado Cash can be sanctioned since it’s an entity defined as “a partnership, association, trust, joint venture, corporation, group, subgroup, or other organization,” the Treasury said.
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“For Sam to suggest that the industry ‘should respect OFAC’ is unbecoming,” ShapeShift co-founder Erik Voorhees said
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The Treasury exceeded its regulatory authority as Tornado Cash is a “privacy tool beyond the control of anyone,” Coin Center said
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The exchange allowed users in the Crimea region of Ukraine, as well as Cuba, Iran, Sudan and Syria to trade cryptoassets despite these being subject to US sanctions
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Blockchain development agency Labrys said Ethereum censorship has grown “unchecked” since the Merge, but core developers disagree
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OFAC also addressed “dust attacks,” or instances where a very small amount of cryptocurrency that touched Tornado Cash results in blocked wallets or accounts, in Tuesday’s clarifications
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Sanctioning Tornado Cash has only increased mixing activity on other platforms, industry members said
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Stablecoin issuer calls the move by USDC to blacklist Tornado Cash smart contracts “premature”
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Rep. Tom Emmer has urged Janet Yellen’s Treasury office to expand on its Tornado Cash sanctions, saying “expectation of privacy is normal”
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The Russian citizen was extradited from the Netherlands to face charges of laundering proceeds from crimes paid in crypto
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