Source: Cointelegraph Original: "{title}"

The U.S. Treasury has imposed sanctions on eight cryptocurrency wallet addresses associated with the Russian exchange Garantex and the Yemeni political-military organization "Houthis."

The U.S. Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) has listed eight cryptocurrency addresses for sanctions based on data provided by blockchain analysis firms Chainalysis and TRM Labs, including two large deposit addresses from cryptocurrency platforms and six private-controlled addresses.

Visualization chart of transaction flows related to OFAC sanctions Source: Chainalysis

It is reported that the relevant addresses have transferred nearly $1 billion in funds related to sanctioned entities, with most transactions used to fund the Houthis' operations in Yemen and the Red Sea region.

Slava Demchuk, an advisor at the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime focusing on cryptocurrency money laundering research, told Cointelegraph: "The sanctions on Houthi-associated wallets reflect the international community's broad recognition of the role of cryptocurrency in geopolitical conflicts and terrorist financing." He emphasized: "The implications are profound—compliance frameworks must adapt quickly, tracing efforts will be strengthened, and decentralized platforms may face stricter scrutiny."

Demchuk pointed out that this event is reshaping the regulatory landscape, with cryptocurrency now clearly included in the realm of international security.

Background on the Houthis The Houthis (officially known as Ansar Allah) are a political-military organization originating from the Zaidi Shia community in Yemen. The group initially emerged as a revivalist reform movement and later developed into a major force in Yemen's ongoing conflict.

In recent years, the Houthis have continued to use missiles and drones to attack military and civilian vessels in the Red Sea region. In January 2024, U.S. President Biden designated the group as a foreign terrorist organization.

An official statement noted: "The activities of the Houthis threaten the safety of U.S. citizens and personnel in the Middle East, jeopardize the safety of regional allies, and undermine the stability of global maritime trade." The group has recently been targeted by U.S. military airstrikes.

Garantex: Russian Crypto Money Laundering Platform The Russian cryptocurrency exchange Garantex was sanctioned and shut down in early March for allegedly assisting in money laundering. At that time, the stablecoin operator Tether froze $27 million USDT on the platform, leading to its shutdown.

Reports indicate that the platform attempted to restart operations under the new brand "Grinex" while still transferring millions of dollars in funds.

In mid-March, the Indian Central Bureau of Investigation announced the arrest of Lithuanian citizen Aleksej Bešciokov, who was accused of operating the Garantex exchange.

The arrest of the alleged founder was based on three charges brought by the U.S.: conspiracy to commit money laundering, conspiracy to operate an unlicensed money transfer business, and conspiracy to violate the International Emergency Economic Powers Act.

Related Articles: WazirX Approved for Hacker Repayment, Tornado Cash Sanctions Overturned: Legal Interpretation

免责声明：本文章仅代表作者个人观点，不代表本平台的立场和观点。本文章仅供信息分享，不构成对任何人的任何投资建议。用户与作者之间的任何争议，与本平台无关。如网页中刊载的文章或图片涉及侵权，请提供相关的权利证明和身份证明发送邮件到support@aicoin.com，本平台相关工作人员将会进行核查。