The US Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) has sanctioned Ekaterina Zhdanova, a Russian national, for her alleged involvement in money laundering and fund transfers using virtual currency on behalf of Russian elites. As part of the G7’s pledge to clamp down on sanctions circumvention and close loopholes that Russian states, oligarchs, proxies, and elites may use, OFAC aims to prevent the exploitation of virtual currency. Ekaterina Zhdanova reportedly facilitated the obfuscation of the source of wealth for a Russian client by transferring over $2.3 million to Western Europe using cash and virtual currency. She also reportedly conducted virtual currency exchange transfers and has provided tax residency services to Russian clients in the United Arab Emirates.
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