The U.S. Treasury sanctions the UK cryptocurrency exchanges Zedcex Exchange and Zedxion Exchange

According to the U.S. Department of the Treasury, the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) has sanctioned two digital asset exchanges, Zedcex Exchange and Zedxion Exchange, for the first time due to their connections with Iranian businessman Babak Morteza Zanjani. This marks the first time that OFAC has sanctioned digital asset exchanges for operating in the Iranian economic and financial sector.

Since its registration in August 2022, Zedcex has processed over $94 billion in transactions. Multiple addresses from these two exchanges have previously handled funds for wallets associated with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) in Iran. Additionally, OFAC has sanctioned several Iranian officials, including Iranian Interior Minister Eskandar Momeni Kalagari, accusing them of being responsible for domestic violence repression in Iran.