WASHINGTON (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 06th April, 2022) The United States is imposing anti-Russia sanctions on the Garantex virtual Currency exchange and Hydra Market, the US Department of Treasury said on Tuesday.
"Today, the US Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) sanctioned the world's largest and most prominent darknet market, Hydra Market (Hydra) in a coordinated international effort to disrupt proliferation of malicious cybercrime services, dangerous drugs, and other illegal offerings available through the Russia-based site," the Treasury said in a press release.
The Treasury also identified more than 100 virtual currency addresses associated with Hydra's operations that have been used to conduct illicit transactions, according to the release.
The Treasury Department said it designated Garantex for operating or having operated in the financial services sector of the Russian economy.
The release said Garantex allows customers to buy and sell virtual currencies using fiat currencies, and a majority of its operations are carried out in Moscow and St. Petersburg. More than $100 million of Garantex's transactions are associated with illicit actors and darknet markets, the release added.
