US sanctions Iranian crypto exchanges as talks continue

The Treasury Department announced Friday it was blacklisting two crypto exchanges that Iranians were using to evade sanctions through “sprawling corporate networks and an extensive online gambling enterprise.”

August 08, 2026 / 08:00 IST

The US ramped up economic pressure on Iran with more sanctions targeting digital asset exchanges and networks connected to the country’s shadow-banking system, as Washington seeks leverage amid ongoing negotiations over the war.

The Treasury Department announced Friday it was blacklisting two crypto exchanges that Iranians were using to evade sanctions through “sprawling corporate networks and an extensive online gambling enterprise.”

The entities helped launder billions of dollars for the Iranian regime and support the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, according to a statement from Treasury.

The Trump administration also announced penalties on multiple networks that were helping Iran’s financial system move hundreds of millions of dollars.

“We will continue to increase the economic pressure,” Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said in a statement. “Whether in dollars, rials, or crypto, Treasury will hunt down and dismantle the illicit financial networks that keep the regime afloat.”