Crypto Mixer Involved In Ronin Attack Sanctioned By The US Treasury

[Mic Drop]

Blender.io, a crypto mixer, has been added to the US Office of Foreign Assets Control's list of businesses sanctioned for interacting with the North Korean-backed hacker group involved in Axie Infinity's Ronin Bridge attack.

According to the official press release, North Koreans allegedly used Blender.io to process $20.5 million of the nearly $620 million taken.

According to the report, Blender.io has handled the movement of almost $500 million in Bitcoin since its launch five years ago. Blender.io has also allowed money-laundering operations for the Russia-affiliated ransomware gang Conti. This follows widespread concern over the cryptocurrency industry's role in Russian sanctions evasion.

According to Andrew Fierman, Head of Sanctions Strategy at Chainalysis,

“While [Treasury] has targeted laundering services used by hackers, ransomware operators, and other illicit actors in recent months, this is the first designation of a mixer, indicating an advancement in their strategy to dismantle crypto money-laundering infrastructure.”

https://www.ft.com/content/795892b3-806b-4079-8bc9-6cf75dc074f4