The U.S. government has imposed sanctions against the Russian cryptocurrency exchange Grinex, which is linked to money laundering and circumventing previous sanctions. The Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) of the U.S. Department of the Treasury has added Grinex to the sanctions list, calling it the successor to Garantex – a platform already under restrictions since 2022. Sanctions also affected associated companies, including payment services Exved and InDeFi, as well as individuals such as Sergey Mendeleev, co-founder of Garantex.
American officials claim that Grinex was used to support cybercrime and finance terrorism, particularly through cryptocurrency operations. In response, the U.S. State Department has announced a reward of up to $5 million for information that helps apprehend key figures. Experts note that these measures are aimed at increasing pressure on the Russian crypto industry, although the effectiveness of the sanctions raises doubts due to possible circumvention schemes.
The decision reflects a broader U.S. strategy to combat the illegal use of digital assets. At the same time, discussions continue in the crypto community about the impact of such steps on decentralization and the global market.
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