The US Treasury Department on Tuesday imposed sanctions on a prominent darknet market based in Russia already one cryptocurrency exchange which, he said, operates mainly from Moscow and St. Petersburg.
The sanctions against Hydra and the foreign exchange market Garantexposted on the Treasury Department’s website, “send a message to criminals that they can’t hide on the darknet or its forums,” Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said.
According to researchers from blockchainapproximately 86% of the illicit bitcoin received directly by Russian markets in 2019 came from Hydrathat he Treasury Department described as the “largest and most prominent darknet market in the world”.
The new sanctions prohibit Americans from making or receiving “any contribution or supply of funds, goods or services” to Hydra or Garantexsaid the Treasury Department.
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