• Press Releases
    • Submit a press release
    • Read All
  • Contact us
Advertise
Bitcoinist.com
No Result
View All Result
  • Bitcoin
    • News
    • Price
    • Businesses
    • Acceptance
    • Technology
    • Investment
    • Regulation
    • Reviews
    • All Bitcoin News
  • Altcoins
    • News
    • Price
    • Ethereum
    • Ripple
    • Litecoin
    • EOS
    • NAGA
    • All Altcoin News
  • Tech
    • Blockchain
    • Security
    • FinTech
    • Price
      • Bitcoin Price
      • Ethereum Price
      • Binance Coin Price
      • Litecoin Price
  • Industry
    • Industry News
    • Press Releases
  • How to
    • Buy gift cards/mobile Top Ups with Cryptos
    • What Is Bitcoin?
    • Best Bitcoin Wallet
    • Bitcoin vs Ethereum
    • Why Use Blockchain Technology?
    • Bitcoin Cash ABC vs. Bitcoin Cash SV
    • How to Buy Cryptocurrency
    • How to do Crypto Gambling
      • Crypto Casinos
        • Ethereum Casinos
        • Solana Casinos
        • LiteCoin Casinos
        • DogeCoin Casinos
        • Live Crypto Casinos
        • New Casinos
        • Instant Withdrawal Casinos
        • Cash App Casinos
        • No KYC Casinos
        • VPN Casinos
        • Offshore Casinos
          • Crypto Casinos IT
          • Crypto Casinos ES
            • All Guides
          • Crypto Casinos JP
          • Crypto Casinos SG
          • Crypto Casinos MY
          • Crypto Casinos KR
          • No GAMSTOP Casinos in UK
          • No Cruks Casinos NL
      • Crypto Betting
        • No ID sportsbooks
    • Play Crypto Games
      • Crypto Poker
      • Crypto Slots
      • Crypto Blackjack
      • Crypto Crash Gambling
        • Aviator Sites
      • Plinko
    • Bitcoin Mining
    • Best Bitcoin Brokers
    • Best Bitcoin Forex Brokers
    • How To Earn Bitcoin
    • What is Facebook Libra?
    • Ripple and XRP: The Complete Guide
  • Events
  • Play Games
Breaking News: Will Trump Pardon Sam Bankman-Fried? Polymarket Odds Surge as Traders React to CZ’s Release
  • Bitcoin
    • News
    • Price
    • Businesses
    • Acceptance
    • Technology
    • Investment
    • Regulation
    • Reviews
    • All Bitcoin News
  • Altcoins
    • News
    • Price
    • Ethereum
    • Ripple
    • Litecoin
    • EOS
    • NAGA
    • All Altcoin News
  • Tech
    • Blockchain
    • Security
    • FinTech
    • Price
      • Bitcoin Price
      • Ethereum Price
      • Binance Coin Price
      • Litecoin Price
  • Industry
    • Industry News
    • Press Releases
  • How to
    • Buy gift cards/mobile Top Ups with Cryptos
    • What Is Bitcoin?
    • Best Bitcoin Wallet
    • Bitcoin vs Ethereum
    • Why Use Blockchain Technology?
    • Bitcoin Cash ABC vs. Bitcoin Cash SV
    • How to Buy Cryptocurrency
    • How to do Crypto Gambling
      • Crypto Casinos
        • Ethereum Casinos
        • Solana Casinos
        • LiteCoin Casinos
        • DogeCoin Casinos
        • Live Crypto Casinos
        • New Casinos
        • Instant Withdrawal Casinos
        • Cash App Casinos
        • No KYC Casinos
        • VPN Casinos
        • Offshore Casinos
          • Crypto Casinos IT
          • Crypto Casinos ES
            • All Guides
          • Crypto Casinos JP
          • Crypto Casinos SG
          • Crypto Casinos MY
          • Crypto Casinos KR
          • No GAMSTOP Casinos in UK
          • No Cruks Casinos NL
      • Crypto Betting
        • No ID sportsbooks
    • Play Crypto Games
      • Crypto Poker
      • Crypto Slots
      • Crypto Blackjack
      • Crypto Crash Gambling
        • Aviator Sites
      • Plinko
    • Bitcoin Mining
    • Best Bitcoin Brokers
    • Best Bitcoin Forex Brokers
    • How To Earn Bitcoin
    • What is Facebook Libra?
    • Ripple and XRP: The Complete Guide
  • Events
  • Play Games
Bitcoinist.com
No Result
View All Result
Breaking News: Will Trump Pardon Sam Bankman-Fried? Polymarket Odds Surge as Traders React to CZ’s Release
Aave Tornado Cash Crypto

Why The US Treasury Sanctioned Crypto Exchange Tornado Cash

Reynaldo Marquez
by Reynaldo Marquez
3 years ago
·
Posted in Crypto News
Trusted Editorial content, reviewed by leading industry experts and seasoned editors. Ad Disclosure

Per a press release, the U.S. Department of the Treasury announced sanctions against Tornado Cash, a decentralized exchange (DEX). The institution added the website tornado.cash, the entities associated, and several Ethereum-based addresses to their Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) Specially Designated Nationals And Blocked Persons List (SDN).

Related Reading: Why Does Binance Recommend Shifting Your Crypto From WazirX To Binance

There are around 40 ETH addresses in this list which in total, according to the U.S Treasury, have processed over $7 billion in total trading volume since 2019. Part of their operation is linked to illegal cyber activities.

$455 million have been linked to a cyber attack allegedly conducted by the North Korea-backed Lazarus Group, a hacking group sanctioned by the Treasury. An extra $100 million have been attributed to the recent Harmony Bridge Heist, and Nomad bridge heist, both conducted in the past few months.

Brian Nelson, Under Secretary of the Treasury for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence, said the following on the announcement and about Tornado Cash’s alleged involvement in illegal activities:

Despite public assurances otherwise, Tornado Cash has repeatedly failed to impose effective controls designed to stop it from laundering funds for malicious cyber actors on a regular basis and without basic measures to address its risks. Treasury will continue to aggressively pursue actions against mixers that launder virtual currency for criminals and those who assist them.

The U.S. Treasury made an important clarification in their press release by acknowledging that the majority of crypto trading volume and activity is licit. However, they believe that platforms such as Tornado Cash can be used to enable certain illegal activities.

In particular, the institution is concerned about ransomware schemes, sanctions evasion, darknet markets, fraud, and illegal exchanges. As Bitcoinist reported, Tornado Cash is the second crypto-related entity sanctioned by the U.S. Treasury, the first was Blender.io.

Ethereum ETH ETHUSDT Tornado Cash
ETH’s price with important gains on the 4-hour chart. Source: ETHUSDT Tradingview

Why Are These Sanctions Against Tornado Cash Different?

The Treasury is seemingly becoming more active in imposing sanctions on crypto companies and entities. In the case of Tornado Cash, the institution even targeted its potential source of revenue for future development.

An analyst for Nansen pointed out that the address holding contributions and donations for Tornado Cash was included in the OFAC’s SDN list. The crypto community has been quick to respond to the Treasury’s announcement.

Just to clarify: it’s the Tornado Cash wallet where they recieved Gitcoin grants: https://t.co/WqNyPxeldo

I’d forgotten that the Iron Bank attacker donated lmao pic.twitter.com/fygelqI05r

— Andrew T (@Blockanalia) August 8, 2022

In a separate press release, crypto think tank Coin Center highlighted that the sanctions will affect U.S. citizens’ access to Tornado Cash. The OFAC’s SDN list was created to identify persons involved in criminal activities, such as terrorism.

However, Coin Center said, Tornado Cash is not a person or living entity or a company capable of making judgments, but rather “a robot”, a software hosted on the Ethereum blockchain. Thus, the tool and its technology are neutral. The release said:

Sanctioning a tool that is not an alias of any person meriting sanction is substantially different from typical usage of the SDN list. It is a ban on a technology and not a sanction against a person.

Related Reading: Crypto And Fiat Currency Exchange Banned By CFTC From Taking Bets On US Elections

Jerry Brito, Executive Director at Coin Center, added:

Today’s action does not seem so much as a sanction against a person or entity with agency. It appears instead to be the sanctioning of a tool that is neutral in character and that can be put to good or bad uses like any other technology.

Editorial Process for bitcoinist is centered on delivering thoroughly researched, accurate, and unbiased content. We uphold strict sourcing standards, and each page undergoes diligent review by our team of top technology experts and seasoned editors. This process ensures the integrity, relevance, and value of our content for our readers.
ShareTweetShareShare

Sign Up for Our Newsletter!

For updates and exclusive offers enter your email.

I consent to my submitted data being collected and stored.
Reynaldo Marquez

Reynaldo Marquez

Follow

As an editor at NewsBTC, Reynaldo is an experienced journalist passionate about all things crypto. Reynaldo has interviewed key industry leaders, and created unique pieces analyzing the promise of crypto as the next frontier for an economic and social transformation of humanity. Since 2018, he has been at the forefront of the industry, closely following every major development and analyzing critical events at the heart of the crypto industry. With a keen eye for detail and an unwavering commitment to excellence, Reynaldo has been instrumental in bringing the latest news and insights to the crypto community. Outside of work, Reynaldo enjoys lifting weights and literature, which he believes gives him a unique perspective into the world of crypto. As an aspiring trader, he is always looking for new opportunities to explore and believes that crypto holds the key to unlocking the future of finance.

Full Profile

Related Posts

Bitcoin

Bitcoin Mining Shares Surge Following Jane Street’s Strategic Entry

2 hours ago
ETF

The First Ever Spot XRP ETF To Be Approved In The US Just Hit A Major Milestone

6 hours ago
Polymarket

Polymarket Confirms Token Airdrop, But US Launch Is Priority — Details

15 hours ago
CZ

Trump’s CZ Pardon Sparks Fury — Congresswoman Leads The Backlash

17 hours ago
crypto

Big Crypto, Tech Money Back Trump’s White House Ballroom – Details

22 hours ago
bitcoin, crypto, stablecoin

JPMorgan To Allow Bitcoin And Ether As Collateral For Institutional Clients – Report

1 day ago
Please login to join discussion

Premium Sponsors

Press Releases

  • Snorter Bot...

    2 days ago
  • ORIGIN Protocol's LGNS Achieves Historic Milestone: Liquidity Tops $194 Million, Reclaiming Title as Global Leader in DeFi

    ORIGIN Protocol’s LGNS Achieves Major Milestone...

    4 days ago
  • bonus kcex

    Bonus KCEX: promozione da $21.000 con un bonus deposito del...

    4 days ago
  • Maxi Doge

    Защо Maxi Doge може да се окаже...

    4 days ago
  • 挖 1 枚比特幣耗電可供 61...

    4 days ago

Bitcoin news portal providing breaking news, guides, price analysis about decentralized digital money & blockchain technology.

Bitcoin

  • News
  • Price
  • Businesses
  • Acceptance
  • Technology
  • Investment
  • Regulation
  • Reviews

Altcoins

  • News
  • Price
  • Ethereum
  • Ripple
  • Litecoin
  • EOS

Categories

  • Blockchain
  • Security
  • FinTech
  • Technology
  • Trending
  • Breaking News
  • Press Releases
  • How to

About Us

  • Advertise
  • Contact us
  • Editorial Policy
  • Privacy Policy
© 2025 Bitcoinist.com. All Rights Reserved.
  • Bitcoin
    • News
    • Price
    • Businesses
    • Acceptance
    • Technology
    • Investment
    • Regulation
    • Reviews
    • All Bitcoin News
  • Altcoins
    • News
    • Price
    • Ethereum
    • Ripple
    • Litecoin
    • EOS
    • NAGA
    • All Altcoin News
  • Tech
    • Blockchain
    • Security
    • FinTech
    • Price
      • Bitcoin Price
      • Ethereum Price
      • Binance Coin Price
      • Litecoin Price
  • Industry
    • Industry News
    • Press Releases
  • How to
    • Buy gift cards/mobile Top Ups with Cryptos
    • What Is Bitcoin?
    • Best Bitcoin Wallet
    • Bitcoin vs Ethereum
    • Why Use Blockchain Technology?
    • Bitcoin Cash ABC vs. Bitcoin Cash SV
    • How to Buy Cryptocurrency
    • How to do Crypto Gambling
      • Crypto Casinos
      • Crypto Betting
    • Play Crypto Games
      • Crypto Poker
      • Crypto Slots
      • Crypto Blackjack
      • Crypto Crash Gambling
      • Plinko
    • Bitcoin Mining
    • Best Bitcoin Brokers
    • Best Bitcoin Forex Brokers
    • How To Earn Bitcoin
    • What is Facebook Libra?
    • Ripple and XRP: The Complete Guide
  • Events
  • Play Games
Advertise

© 2025 Bitcoinist. All Rights Reserved.

This website uses cookies. By continuing to use this website you are giving consent to cookies being used. Visit our Privacy Center or Cookie Policy.