The U.S. Treasury has sanctioned two Iranian maritime firms it says were central to an IRGC-linked insurance network operating around the Strait of Hormuz—an arrangement the Treasury claims used cryptocurrency payments, including Bitcoin (BTC), to help Iran bypass Western sanctions.

According to the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), Persian Gulf Marine Insurance Company and HormuzSafe Marine Services Authority were designated for operating in Iran’s financial sector. OFAC says the network required commercial vessels to purchase “approved coverage” before transiting the strategic waterway.

Key takeaways

• OFAC sanctioned Persian Gulf Marine Insurance Company and HormuzSafe Marine Services Authority for helping an alleged IRGC-backed maritime insurance system.
• OFAC alleges HormuzSafe accepted Bitcoin and other digital assets as part of efforts to evade U.S. sanctions.
• The Treasury says the scheme helped generate revenue for the IRGC and increased Iranian leverage over shipping through the Strait of Hormuz.
• The action follows earlier reports about Iran considering a Bitcoin-based maritime insurance platform.
• OFAC also sanctioned eight additional companies linked to Iran’s shadow fleet and identified eight vessels as blocked property.

OFAC’s sanctions target an insurance mechanism tied to Strait of Hormuz transit

In an OFAC announcement released via the U.S. Treasury, the agency said the designated firms were “integral” to what it described as an IRGC-backed insurance network. The Treasury’s claim is that the network functioned as a gatekeeper for maritime traffic: commercial vessels would need to buy coverage that met the network’s requirements before moving through the Strait of Hormuz.

From an investor and market perspective, the important point is less about a single payment rail and more about control of a chokepoint. The Strait of Hormuz is widely cited as handling roughly one-fifth of global oil trade, meaning even incremental changes to how transit insurance is structured can have outsized implications for shipping compliance costs and energy-market risk perceptions.

Crypto payments alleged: why Treasury focused on Bitcoin

OFAC specifically alleged that HormuzSafe accepted BTC and other cryptocurrencies as part of an effort to “evade sanctions.” The Treasury’s position is that the platform generated revenue on behalf of the IRGC while helping Iran exert greater influence over shipping through the strait.

While sanctions announcements do not establish operational details for every reported component of such systems, this designation matters because it highlights how U.S. authorities believe digital assets can reduce the effectiveness of traditional compliance barriers. Bitcoin is decentralized and, unlike some centrally issued stablecoins, does not have an issuer that can selectively freeze funds. That distinction has been a recurring theme in U.S. crypto enforcement actions and in related reporting about how sanctioned entities look for payment options that are harder to block at the source.

Earlier coverage had suggested that Iran was exploring mechanisms that could include crypto in oil-related settlement processes, though the reporting also noted a lack of onchain evidence at the time for completed Bitcoin payments. OFAC’s latest action indicates that U.S. authorities believe the maritime insurance angle is no longer merely speculative.

From reported proposal to formal designation

The sanctions follow an information trail that began with public online references to HormuzSafe. On May 18, screenshots of the HormuzSafe website circulated online, describing a “digital insurance” service for maritime cargo with policies payable in Bitcoin. At the time, reports characterized the effort as potentially being under consideration, and the site reportedly appeared inaccessible when checked.

Additional context from state-linked media, as carried in earlier reporting, suggested the platform could issue marine insurance policies and certificates of financial responsibility and possibly generate substantial revenue. In the current Treasury action, OFAC has moved from describing a potential concept to sanctioning entities it says were already part of an actionable IRGC-backed network.

OFAC’s statement also comes amid broader U.S. measures targeting Iran-linked crypto activity. In April, U.S. authorities froze $344 million in USD Tether (USDT) stablecoin linked to Iran, underscoring that Treasury views digital assets as a persistent enforcement challenge when sanctions evasion is involved.

Broader enforcement: shadow fleet links and blocked vessels

This round of sanctions was not limited to the two maritime insurance firms. Alongside Persian Gulf Marine Insurance Company and HormuzSafe Marine Services Authority, OFAC sanctioned eight companies it linked to Iran’s “shadow fleet” and identified eight vessels as blocked property.

Taken together, the actions suggest the Treasury is mapping the maritime compliance ecosystem: not only ship operators and vessels, but also the insurance or financial services layered around them. If vessels must obtain specific coverage to transit a strategic route, insurance providers and related platforms can become leverage points—commercially and strategically.

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent framed the move as a response to Iran using shipping to generate funds for the IRGC. “The United States will not allow Iran to hold global commerce hostage,” he said, according to the Treasury statement.

For markets and shipping participants, the immediate watch item is how insurers, ship operators, and compliance teams respond to these designations—especially whether alternative coverage arrangements emerge for transiting vessels and whether additional related entities are targeted next. Longer term, the key uncertainty remains whether crypto-based payment rails will expand across other sanctioned maritime services beyond the specific structure OFAC outlined this week.

The hawkishness wasn’t subtle. The Federal Open Market Committee held rates at 3.5%-3.75%, but three policymakers – Cleveland Fed president Beth Hammack, Minneapolis Fed president Neel Kashkari, and Dallas Fed president Lorie Logan – dissented in favor of a hike, pushing the decision through on a 9-3 vote. Warsh then opened his press conference saying “there is no soft inflation target,” reiterating that any inflation print above 2% is unacceptable to him.

“This is the Fed telling markets it will not tolerate inflation above target even at the cost of a growth scare,” Grachev said. “For digital assets, that’s the least favorable outcome on the table this cycle.”

His reasoning simple. “Tighter policy, less liquidity, [means] more expensive carry.” Tighter liquidity makes leveraged and carry-funded crypto positions more expensive to hold, which can pressure bitcoin’s price. Grachev expects the shift in positioning to happen immediately, not gradually. “Institutional positioning should shift defensive immediately, and risk-on assets will take the biggest hit, he said.

He gave bitcoin some credit for resilience so far, but not much comfort looking ahead: “Bitcoin has held up through a hawkish stretch already, but a fresh hawkish surprise would negatively impact prices.”

Can-Luca Köymen, investment strategist at Sygnum Bank, took a nearly opposite view, largely because he’d already priced in the hawkish hold.

A Russian court has sent Bitriver founder Igor Runets to a pretrial detention facility. Runets will spend two months at the facility while investigators build their case.

Runets was detained and placed under house arrest by law enforcement on January 30, 2026. He was formally charged with three counts of concealing money and assets to evade taxes.

The Charges Against Runets

Runets has been charged under Part 4 of Article 159 of the Russian Criminal Code. The section covers fraud committed by organized groups. According to investigators, the fraud led to nearly 1 billion rubles in damages to EN+, a group of metallurgical and energy companies operating in Russia. Investigators allege that a company linked to Runets received advance payments from an EN+ subsidiary to supply mining equipment. However, the company did not deliver the equipment to the firm and failed to return the funds.

Court Sides With Prosecutors

Prosecutors pushed to transfer Runets to a detention facility, citing the scale of the fraud and concerns that he could influence witnesses in the case. The court agreed with the prosecution and granted the motion to detain Runets. Representatives for Runets and Bitriver have yet to issue a public statement about the developments. Investigators will now begin examining equipment and gathering witness testimony from EN+.

Bitriver’s Troubles Deepen

Meanwhile, Bitriver’s financial troubles deepened. Once the largest mining company in Russia by revenue, Bitriver is facing bankruptcy and looking for new ownership. Fox Group, the mining company’s parent entity, is $9.2 billion in debt, and a commercial court has initiated bankruptcy monitoring proceedings against the company.

Disclaimer: This article is provided for informational purposes only. It is not offered or intended to be used as legal, tax, investment, financial, or other advice.

South Korea should introduce interim stablecoin licensing guidance before lawmakers complete the wider Digital Asset Basic Act.

According to a policy report published July 29 by Hashed Open Research and the Solana Policy Institute.

The report summarises a June 23 symposium attended by lawmakers, lawyers and digital-asset industry representatives. It recommends a phased approach addressing stablecoin issuance, payments and foreign tokens while lawmakers continue negotiating a comprehensive market framework. The recommendations are advisory and do not change current law.

South Korea stablecoin rules could arrive in stages

The report argues that waiting for the full Digital Asset Basic Act could leave businesses without clear rules for issuing or using won-backed stablecoins. It recommends interim guidance on licensing, permitted activities and payment services so regulated firms can prepare before the final law takes effect.

Bae, Kim & Lee partner Kim Hyo-bong also urged South Korea to consider the European Union’s rollout of the Markets in Crypto-Assets Regulation. MiCA’s stablecoin provisions began applying on June 30, 2024, six months before the framework became fully applicable. The comparison supports introducing stablecoin rules before completing every part of the broader crypto framework.

Bank control remains the central dispute

Democratic Party lawmaker Ahn Do-geol said policymakers were considering a “compromise” under which banks would retain majority ownership of stablecoin issuers while fintech or other non-bank partners managed operations. The model has not been adopted and remains part of negotiations.

As previously discussed a structure in which banks would own more than 50% of an issuer and a fintech company could hold 34% with management rights. Supporters say the model could combine bank oversight with technical expertise. However, critics of strict bank control argue it could narrow competition.

The Bank of Korea has supported a bank-led approach because of monetary, foreign-exchange and financial-stability concerns. Central bank officials have warned that easier conversion between won and U.S. dollar stablecoins could complicate capital-flow management.

Ten proposals may be folded into one bill

The Financial Services Commission told the National Assembly ahead of a July 29 policy briefing that it plans to prepare a consolidated Digital Asset Basic Act with the ruling Democratic Party. Ten digital-asset and stablecoin proposals are already pending, but the regulator has not announced a filing date or final wording.

The proposed framework is expected to cover stablecoin issuance and circulation, exchange conduct, disclosures, internal controls and system resilience. South Korea’s existing Virtual Asset User Protection Act mainly governs custody, unfair trading and customer safeguards, leaving issuer and market-structure rules for the second stage.

The policy report also asks lawmakers to look beyond issuer eligibility. Its wider recommendations cover payment networks, public blockchains, tokenised assets and links between traditional markets and decentralised finance. These proposals reflect symposium participants’ views rather than agreed government policy.

Foreign stablecoins and financial institutions need clarity

Kim said policymakers should define which digital-asset activities banks and other financial institutions may conduct. The report also calls for clear licensing treatment for stablecoin payments and rules covering foreign-issued tokens offered to Korean users.

Expected policy questions include whether overseas issuers must establish a local branch, meet reserve and custody standards, or obtain domestic approval. These details remain unsettled, so the report’s recommendations should not be read as current legal requirements.

As previously reported, South Korea has outlined a wider roadmap for won-backed stablecoins alongside foreign-exchange reforms, central bank digital-currency pilots and tokenised government bonds.

In addition, the FSC said it wants to combine ten pending proposals into a government-backed bill during 2026. Lawmakers must still reconcile bank ownership, non-bank participation, reserve safeguards and the treatment of overseas stablecoins.

No parliamentary vote or implementation deadline has been announced. Moreover, no verified crypto-market movement has been directly linked to the policy report’s publication.

Don’t fall asleep on the couch

Plan for your excuses now