Triggers

55 triggers — the legal or regulatory causes linked to blacklist / unblacklist actions.

ID Date Type Authority Description
CU-TRG-0001 OFAC_DESIGNATION OFAC OFAC SDN designation of Potekhin
CU-TRG-0002 OFAC_DESIGNATION OFAC OFAC SDN designation of Secondeye Solution
CU-TRG-0003 OFAC_DESIGNATION OFAC OFAC SDN designation of KARASAVIDI
CU-TRG-0004 OFAC_DESIGNATION OFAC OFAC SDN designation of SOUTHFRONT
CU-TRG-0005 OFAC_DESIGNATION OFAC OFAC SDN designation of SUEX OTC, S.R.O.
CU-TRG-0006 OFAC_DESIGNATION OFAC OFAC SDN designation of CHATEX
CU-TRG-0007 OFAC_DESIGNATION OFAC OFAC SDN designation of Lifshits
CU-TRG-0008 OFAC_DESIGNATION OFAC OFAC SDN designation of Polyanin
CU-TRG-0009 OFAC_DESIGNATION OFAC OFAC SDN designation of Andreyev
CU-TRG-0010 OFAC_DESIGNATION OFAC OFAC SDN designation of GARANTEX EUROPE OU
CU-TRG-0011 OFAC_DESIGNATION OFAC OFAC SDN designation of Lazarus Group
CU-TRG-0012 OFAC_DESIGNATION OFAC OFAC SDN designation of Task Force Rusich
CU-TRG-0013 OFAC_DESIGNATION OFAC OFAC SDN designation of Peijnenburg
CU-TRG-0014 OFAC_DESIGNATION OFAC OFAC SDN designation of Grimm
CU-TRG-0015 OFAC_DESIGNATION OFAC OFAC SDN designation of Zimenkov
CU-TRG-0016 OFAC_DESIGNATION OFAC OFAC SDN designation of Sim
CU-TRG-0017 OFAC_DESIGNATION OFAC OFAC SDN designation of Hanafin
CU-TRG-0018 OFAC_DESIGNATION OFAC OFAC SDN designation of Kim
CU-TRG-0019 OFAC_DESIGNATION OFAC OFAC SDN designation of Semenov
CU-TRG-0020 OFAC_DESIGNATION OFAC OFAC SDN designation of Jimenez Castro
CU-TRG-0021 OFAC_DESIGNATION OFAC OFAC SDN designation of Shen
CU-TRG-0022 OFAC_DESIGNATION OFAC OFAC SDN designation of Wang
CU-TRG-0023 OFAC_DESIGNATION OFAC OFAC SDN designation of Zhang
CU-TRG-0024 OFAC_DESIGNATION OFAC OFAC SDN designation of Valerian Labs, Inc.
CU-TRG-0025 OFAC_DESIGNATION OFAC OFAC SDN designation of Kondratiev
CU-TRG-0026 OFAC_DESIGNATION OFAC OFAC SDN designation of Gaza Now
CU-TRG-0027 OFAC_DESIGNATION OFAC OFAC SDN designation of OKO DESIGN BUREAU
CU-TRG-0028 OFAC_DESIGNATION OFAC OFAC SDN designation of Wang
CU-TRG-0029 OFAC_DESIGNATION OFAC OFAC SDN designation of Cryptex
CU-TRG-0030 OFAC_DESIGNATION OFAC OFAC SDN designation of Magomedov
CU-TRG-0031 OFAC_DESIGNATION OFAC OFAC SDN designation of Funnull Technology Inc
CU-TRG-0032 OFAC_DESIGNATION OFAC OFAC SDN designation of Old Vector LLC
CU-TRG-0033 OFAC_DESIGNATION OFAC OFAC SDN designation of ALIVAND
CU-TRG-0034 OFAC_DESIGNATION OFAC OFAC SDN designation of DERAKHSHAN
CU-TRG-0035 OFAC_DESIGNATION OFAC OFAC SDN designation of Sokolovski
CU-TRG-0036 OFAC_DESIGNATION OFAC OFAC SDN designation of Yun
CU-TRG-0037 OFAC_DESIGNATION OFAC OFAC SDN designation of AMNOKGANG TECHNOLOGY DEVELOPMENT COMPANY
CU-TRG-0038 2020-06-16 COURT_ORDER Unknown US law enforcement (not disclosed) First USDC blacklist request: law-enforcement request to freeze 100,000 USDC at 0xaa05...1ee0, Jun 2020
CU-TRG-0039 2022-08-08 OFAC_DESIGNATION OFAC OFAC SDN designation of Tornado Cash and associated Ethereum addresses, 2022-08-08. Triggers Circle's follow-on blacklist action same day and next day.
CU-TRG-0040 2026-03-23 COURT_ORDER U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York Sealed SDNY civil-case order (26-cv-2327) directing Circle to blacklist USDC balances across 16 business hot wallets identified in plaintiffs pleadings. Executed by Circle on 2026-03-23; partial reversals (at least 5 addresses including ckETH Minter and Goated.com wallet) by 2026-04-07 after public backlash.
CU-TRG-0041 2026-03-12 OFAC_DESIGNATION OFAC OFAC SDN designation (2026-03-12) of DPRK IT Worker Fraud Network: Yun Song-guk, York Louis Celestino Herrera, Nguyen Quang Viet, Do Phi Khanh, Hoang Van Nguyen, Hoang Minh Quang, Amnokgang Technology Development Company, Quangvietdnbg International Services Company. 21 cryptocurrency addresses designated across Ethereum, Tron, Bitcoin networks. Triggers Circle blacklist sweep of 21 EVM addresses across 6 chains on 2026-03-12.
CU-TRG-0042 2025-11-04 OFAC_DESIGNATION OFAC OFAC designation (2025-11-04) of DPRK bankers and institutions laundering cybercrime and IT worker proceeds — 8 individuals + 2 entities, plus a 53-address crypto update to the SDN entry for Cheil Credit Bank (First Credit Bank). Circle executed a coordinated blacklist of 53 EVM addresses across 6 chains within minutes of the announcement.
CU-TRG-0043 2022-11-09 OFAC_DESIGNATION OFAC OFAC 2022-11-08 Tornado Cash redesignation + 2022-11-09 darknet fentanyl supplier designation (Peijnenburg, De Koning, Grimm + 9 entities). Circle executed consolidated blacklist sweep on 2022-11-10 (ethereum, 53 addrs) and 2022-11-11 (avalanche, same 53 addrs).
CU-TRG-0044 2025-08-14 OFAC_DESIGNATION OFAC OFAC SB0225: Garantex redesignation + Grinex designation + 3 executives + 6 companies + A7A5 Russian ruble token network. Circle same-day blacklist of 12 new addresses on 6 chains.
CU-TRG-0045 2025-04-02 OFAC_DESIGNATION OFAC OFAC SB0068: Houthi arms procurement network — 8 crypto wallets, ~$1B illicit flow, Houthi-Russia-IRGC-QF axis.
CU-TRG-0046 2026-01-30 OFAC_DESIGNATION OFAC OFAC 2026-01-30: First-ever IRGC-linked digital asset exchange designation — Zedcex, Zedxion, Babak Zanjani; 6 operational infrastructure addresses.
CU-TRG-0047 2025-11-19 OFAC_DESIGNATION OFAC OFAC 2025-11-19: Coordinated Five Eyes action — Media Land / Aeza Group (Hypercore) / Volosovik bulletproof hosting + Ryan James Wedding trafficking network. Federal Register 2025-20573.
CU-TRG-0048 2024-12-19 OFAC_DESIGNATION OFAC OFAC 2024-12-19 expansion of Sa'id al-Jamal (IRGC-QF-aligned Houthi financier) to add 5 crypto addresses, plus 12 individuals/entities.
CU-TRG-0049 2025-10-14 OFAC_DESIGNATION OFAC (co-action with DOJ, FinCEN Section 311, UK FCDO) OFAC SB0278: US-UK coordinated action against Prince Group TCO (Cambodia pig-butchering scam compounds). 146 SDN additions. DOJ civil forfeiture of 127,271 BTC (~$14.4B). FinCEN severed Huione Group from US financial system. Circle same-day blacklist of 4 EVM addresses × 6 chains + extras = 31 actions.
CU-TRG-0050 2025-09-16 OFAC_DESIGNATION OFAC OFAC SB0248 (2025-09-16): Iranian shadow banking crypto network — Derakhshan, Alivand + 2 others; $600M+ flow to IRGC-QF / MODAFL via Iranian oil sales.
CU-TRG-0051 2024-03-27 OFAC_DESIGNATION OFAC (joint with UK OFSI) OFAC JY2213 (2024-03-27): First joint OFAC-OFSI crypto designation. Gaza Now Telegram media outlet + Al-Qureshi + Aakhirah Ltd + 2 individuals raising $4.5M crypto for Hamas post Oct 7 attacks.
CU-TRG-0052 2025-02-11 OFAC_DESIGNATION OFAC (coord with UK FCDO, Australia DFAT) OFAC 2025-02-11: Zservers Russia-based bulletproof hosting + 2 admins (Bolshakov, Mishin) supporting LockBit ransomware. Circle executed multi-chain blacklist 13 days later on 2025-02-24.
CU-TRG-0053 2025-03-21 OFAC_DESIGNATION OFAC (acting in response to Fifth Circuit Van Loon v. Treasury ruling Nov 2024) OFAC Tornado Cash DELISTING (2025-03-21, SB0057): Reversal of the Aug 8, 2022 Tornado Cash designation. 100+ ETH addresses removed from SDN. Triggered Circle UNBLACKLIST cascade on 2025-03-21 (47 actions, ethereum) and 2025-03-22 (493 actions, cross-chain). Represents first major OFAC delisting of a crypto designation following federal appellate rebuke.
CU-TRG-0054 2025-02-28 EXCHANGE_HACK_RESPONSE Bybit + multi-jurisdictional LE Bybit Lazarus $1.5B hack consolidation address freeze request (Circle acted 2025-03-01, ~24hr after Tether)
CU-TRG-0055 2025-05-22 EXCHANGE_HACK_RESPONSE Cetus team + private sector freeze request Cetus Protocol $223M exploit response (Circle acted 2025-06-20, +29 days after incident)

Type distribution