U.S. Treasury officers have lifted sanctions on Twister Money, a crypto mixer that the U.S. authorities beforehand mentioned was used to launder $7 billion price of crypto stolen by North Korean hackers.
In an announcement, the Treasury mentioned it “exercised our discretion” to delist Twister Money following a authorized battle. Sanctions make it unlawful for People or U.S. companies to transact with a listed entity.
Crypto mixers enable prospects to hide the place their crypto got here from, together with tainted or illicit funds, by mixing the funds with different crypto.
In 2022, the Treasury accused the “infamous” Twister Money of laundering stolen crypto from hacks carried out by North Korea, whose aim is to steal crypto to fund its nuclear weapons program. In August 2023, the 2 founders of Twister Money have been criminally charged in a New York federal court docket, accused of conspiracy to launder cash and sanctions violations.
The Treasury mentioned following its delisting of Twister Money that it stays “deeply involved” about the specter of crypto hacks from the North Korean regime.