Maxwell Mutuma
In a significant move against cybercrime, the United States Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) announced sanctions against the cryptocurrency mixer Sinbad. This action comes in response to allegations that Sinbad facilitated money laundering for the North Korea-based hacking group Lazarus.
Sinbad Linked to Major Crypto Heists
The OFAC’s sanctions against Sinbad follow investigations linking the platform to laundering millions of dollars from high-profile cryptocurrency heists. These heists include the June 2022 Horizon Bridge hack, the March 2022 Axie Infinity’s Ronin Bridge hack, and the June 2023 Atomic Wallet hack. The combined losses from these attacks amount to approximately $820 million.
Wally Adeyemo, deputy secretary of the Treasury, emphasized the government’s commitment to combating crypto-based criminal activities. He stated that mixing services like Sinbad, which facilitates money laundering for groups such as Lazarus, will face severe repercussions. The Treasury Department and other U.S. and international law enforcement agencies are actively working to prevent such platforms from supporting illicit activities.
The seizures conducted by the U.S. Department of Justice, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and international agencies from the Netherlands and Finland underline a coordinated global effort to curb cybercrime in the cryptocurrency domain. The Treasury clarified that the sanctions encourage positive behavioral change rather than punitive measures.
Legal Battles Follow Crypto Mixer Sanctions
This is not the first instance of OFAC sanctioning cryptocurrency mixers. Previously, platforms like Tornado Cash and Blender have faced similar actions. Notably, Blender was also accused of laundering funds for the Lazarus Group. Risk management firm Elliptic reported a probable link between Sinbad and Blender, suggesting a possible rebranding to evade sanctions.
Following the sanctions against Tornado Cash, the crypto community filed a lawsuit against the U.S. government.Treasury by a group supported by the crypto exchange Coinbase. They alleged overreach by the government department. However, a judge ruled in favor of the Treasury, with the case currently under appeal.
The impact of the US Treasury sanctions against Sinbad on the wider cryptocurrency market and investor sentiment remains to be seen. Past sanctions have led to legal challenges and debates within the crypto community about regulatory overreach and the balance between privacy and security.
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