Crypto Exchanges Face Compliance Risks Amid US Iran Sanctions Probe
The U.S. Treasury Department has shifted its enforcement focus from individual crypto wallets to exchanges, liquidity hubs, and stablecoin payment rails as part of a probe into potential sanctions evasion by Iran. New measures target platforms allegedly facilitating transactions for sanctioned entities, with Zedcex exchange implicated in $1 billion of IRGC-linked activity.
Blockchain analytics firm TRM Labs highlights growing regulatory concern over service-layer infrastructure that enables repeatable access to global markets for bad actors. The enforcement pivot follows OFAC's unprecedented sanctions against crypto platforms operating within Iran's financial system last week.