U.S. Sanctions Virtual Currency Mixer Tied to North Korea (1)

The U.S. Treasury Department on Friday sanctioned Blender.io, a virtual currency mixer it said was tied to North Korea’s hacking and money laundering activities.

The action marks the first time Treasury has sanctioned a so-called “mixer,” which is used to hide the origin of illicit funds.

“Today, for the first time ever, Treasury is sanctioning a virtual currency mixer,” said Under Secretary of the Treasury for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence Brian E. Nelson. “Virtual currency mixers that assist illicit transactions pose a threat to U.S. national security interests. We are taking action against illicit financial activity by the DPRK and ...