The United Kingdom has expanded sanctions against the Russian crypto sphere. The restrictions target 14 companies and four individuals whom British authorities link to circumventing Western sanctions and international payments in the interests of the Russian financial sector.
The sanctions list includes crypto exchanges EXMO and HTX, P2P service Bitpapa, payment crypto infrastructure Rapira, the Kyrgyz Eurasian Savings Bank, and other market participants. Among the individuals, Sergey Mendeleev, one of the founders of the Garantex crypto platform, was sanctioned.
British authorities believe that these companies and associated individuals may have helped conduct cross-border settlements and support financial operations in circumvention of existing restrictions.
The sanctions provide for asset freezes, a ban on international banking operations and payments. For individuals, a ban on entry to the UK is also introduced.
In addition, British providers and app stores must restrict access to the websites and applications of the sanctioned companies for users in the UK.