Crypto Crackdown: U.S. Sanctions 49 Addresses Linked to Iranian Darknet Market Admin

The U.S. Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) has imposed sanctions on 49 cryptocurrency addresses linked to Iranian national Behrouz Parsarad, the administrator of the notorious darknet marketplace Nemesis. The sanctioned assets include 44 Bitcoin addresses and 5 Monero addresses.

Prior to its closure, Nemesis had approximately 30,000 active users and facilitated nearly $30 million in illicit drug transactions over its three-year operation. OFAC reports suggest that Parsarad allegedly earned millions through transaction fees and is suspected of engaging in money laundering activities for drug traffickers and cybercriminals.

The platform enabled a wide range of illegal transactions, including the distribution of narcotics, personal identity information, counterfeit documents, ransomware, and various cybercrime tools such as phishing attacks and DDoS tools. The OFAC's stringent actions demonstrate a continued commitment to combating the use of cryptocurrencies in facilitating illegal activities.