How to Stay Safe: A Practical Guide to Sanctions Compliance in Crypto

The crypto industry operates globally — and so do sanctions. Understanding how sanctions apply to crypto transactions is a basic requirement for anyone moving funds in the digital asset space.This guide explains what sanctions mean for crypto users and where to find the latest guidance on various global sanctions programs.

Sanctions are legal restrictions imposed by governments and international bodies — including the U.S. Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) — that prohibits transactions with certain individuals, entities, and jurisdictions.In crypto, sanctions apply to wallet addresses, groups and individuals, exchanges, and protocols that have been designated as prohibited. Sending funds to or receiving funds from a sanctioned address — even unknowingly — can result in your assets being frozen or blocked.

OKX operates in accordance with international regulatory standards across all markets where it is active. This includes:

• Ongoing screening of transactions against OFAC and other regulatory databases

• KYC verification for all users

• Active monitoring for suspicious activity

• Cooperation with regulatory authorities

We have designed our Compliance Program to prevent money laundering, sanctions evasion, and terrorist financing through a risk-based, multi-layer control system. We cooperate with governments and respect regulations and comply with applicable regulations. As good corporate citizens, we may be asked for information from law enforcement authorities and will assist if permissible by law as law enforcement conduct investigations to pursue and thwart illicit activity.

• OFAC maintains a publicly available Specially Designated Nationals (SDN) list that includes crypto wallet addresses: https://ofac.treasury.gov/sanctions-list-search-tool

• Other regulatory bodies, including the EU, UK, Singapore, and UN maintain their own sanctions lists

  • https://data.europa.eu/apps/eusanctionstracker/entities/

  • https://search.sanctions.un.org/

  • https://search-uk-sanctions-list.service.gov.uk/

  • https://www.mas.gov.sg/regulation/anti-money-laundering/targeted-financial-sanctions/lists-of-designated-individuals-and-entities

• https://ofac.treasury.gov/faqs/topic/1626

• https://www.esma.europa.eu/sites/default/files/2025-10/Joint_ESAs_Factsheet_on_crypto-assets.pdf

• https://www.gov.uk/guidance/uk-financial-sanctions-guidance

• https://www.mas.gov.sg/regulation/anti-money-laundering/targeted-financial-sanctions

• OKX's Terms of Service: https://www.okx.com/ru/help/terms-of-service

• Regulatory guidance on safety and choosing a digital asset exchange:

  • https://www.esma.europa.eu/sites/default/files/2025-10/Joint_ESAs_revised_warning_on_crypto-assets.pdf

  • https://www.fca.org.uk/investsmart/investing-crypto

  • https://files.consumerfinance.gov/f/201408_cfpb_consumer-advisory_virtual-currencies.pdf