U.S. government will sanction cryptocurrency exchanges that help hackers

The U.S. government intends to apply sanctions to cryptocurrency exchanges that help hackers. Adewale Adeyemo, first deputy secretary of the U.S. Treasury, made the warning Thursday during an online seminar at the Washington-based Center for a New American Security.

He was asked to clarify whether the U.S. administration plans to continue using sanctions to combat criminal elements in cyberspace. “The simple answer is yes,” Adeyemo said. “If cryptocurrency exchanges fundamentally contribute to the activities of cybercriminals, then we will use every tool available to prosecute such entities to prevent them from being used by cybercriminals in the future,” the Deputy Treasury Secretary stressed.

Adeyemo noted that from the point of view of U.S. authorities, there are no claims to digital assets and their owners. The vast majority of digital assets are used for legitimate purposes.