U.S. Sanctions 49 Crypto Addresses Linked to Shuttered Darknet Market Nemesis

The U.S. Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) has imposed sanctions on 49 cryptocurrency addresses linked to the illegal online marketplace Nemesis. On Tuesday, the U.S. government targeted Iran-based Behrouz Parsarad, the operator of the shuttered Nemesis darknet marketplace, including 44 Bitcoin addresses and five Monero addresses.

The sanctions come a year after the Nemesis marketplace was shut down. Parsarad, believed to be the administrator of the platform, was accused of facilitating illicit activities through the marketplace. The U.S. government has been cracking down on darknet marketplaces and their operators in recent years, with this latest action being part of a broader effort to combat illegal activities online.

The sanctioned crypto addresses are now subject to U.S. economic sanctions, which means that any transactions involving these addresses may be illegal. The U.S. government has warned that engaging in transactions with sanctioned entities can result in significant penalties, including fines and imprisonment.

The Nemesis marketplace was notorious for facilitating the sale of illegal goods and services, including drugs, hacking tools, and stolen credit card information. The marketplace operated on the dark web, a part of the internet that is not accessible through standard web browsers and requires specialized software to access.

The U.S. government has been increasingly focused on combating illicit activities on the dark web, with a particular emphasis on darknet marketplaces. In recent years, the U.S. has taken action against several high-profile darknet marketplaces, including AlphaBay, Hansa, and Silk Road. These efforts have been part of a broader strategy to disrupt criminal networks and protect the public from the harmful effects of illegal activities online.