The USA has imposed new sanctions against an Iranian cryptocurrency network. At the center is the cryptocurrency exchange BitBank.
The U.S. Department of the Treasury, or OFAC – Office of Foreign Assets Control – accuses BitBank of being part of a digital infrastructure for sanctions evasion. According to the Treasury, BitBank is said to have processed payments related to secure maritime passages through the Strait of Hormuz.
Additionally, the software developer Pishtaz Simorgh Electronic Trade Company and several individuals have been sanctioned. The Treasury also reports large cryptocurrency transfers directed to the IRGC, the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps.
For logistics professionals, this case is particularly relevant because it directly brings together shipping, payment processing, and sanctions.