A private company offering digital currency payment
processing settled its potential civil liability for
alleged violations of numerous sanctions programs.
According to OFAC, the processing company allowed buyers located
in the Crimea region of Ukraine, as well as Cuba, North Korea,
Iran, Sudan and Syria, to make purchases from U.S. merchants using
digital currency. According to OFAC, the processing company did not
screen non-U.S. buyers from the various merchants, although the
company had buyer name, address, email address, phone number and/or
IP address information in its possession. In all, between June 10,
2013 and September 16, 2018, OFAC found that the company processed
2,102 digital currency transactions on behalf of individuals
located in sanctioned jurisdictions, with a total transaction value
of approximately $129,000.