The Financial Times reports Iran is considering accepting cryptocurrency and other digital payment methods as transit fees from fully loaded oil tankers passing through the Strait of Hormuz. The move could shift how energy transit payments are processed and raise regulatory concerns.
A draft law in Russia would effectively bar citizens from trading or transferring cryptocurrency abroad even as it 'legalizes' digital assets; the bill is expected to reach the State Duma within days.
British authorities have sanctioned Xinbi and associated crypto platforms in a crackdown on a Southeast Asian scam network. The measures target services alleged to have enabled large-scale online fraud and serious human rights abuses.
The U.S. Treasury sanctioned eight individuals and entities and moved to freeze a cryptocurrency network accused of channeling nearly $800 million to North Korea’s nuclear and missile programs. The funds were raised through a global scheme that impersonated tech workers to bilk U.S. companies.
The FATF warns offshore crypto exchanges create AML blind spots that increase money-laundering and sanctions-evasion risks for the broader crypto sector.
Russian regulators will authorize crypto exchange licenses for banks and brokers, channeling most legal crypto activity through traditional financial institutions. Tight domestic rules and Western sanctions are expected to keep the market largely isolated from global liquidity.
On March 3, 2026, U.S. federal authorities moved a small amount of Bitcoin from a government-controlled wallet, the first blockchain-recorded Bitcoin transaction by the U.S. this year. The transfer was logged on-chain amid heightened tensions around Iran.
FATF warns stablecoins now account for the majority of illicit crypto activity, with peer-to-peer transfers enabling sanctions evasion and money laundering. The report signals a need for stronger AML controls and closer scrutiny of off-ramps and decentralized rails.
New reporting shows Iran's government and citizens rely on a $7.8 billion crypto shadow economy for international trade and as a financial lifeline amid protests and sanctions. The network blends state-level sanctions evasion with grassroots remittances and P2P activity.
Sen. Richard Blumenthal has launched a formal Senate Homeland Security Committee investigation into Binance after reports the exchange allegedly facilitated $1.7 billion in crypto transfers to Iranian entities tied to terrorism. The probe targets Binance's Hong Kong operations and requests internal records and communications.