The United States impose sanctions against a crypto mixer, which was used in a robbery supported by North Korea

The USA sanctioned a “crypto mixing” service that was used in a north Korea supported by North Korea as the latest sign of how financial guards strengthen their efforts to erase money laundering through digital currencies.

The Ministry of Finance revealed measures against Blender.io on Friday for supporting a group of hackers sponsored by North Korea when washing $ 20.5 million of "illegal proceeds" from one of the greatest crypto robberies of all time.

The announcement of Friday emphasizes how US execution authorities examine the flow of money via digital assets more precisely for signs of illegal activities. Mixers give rise to concern because they hide the lane of transfers that are usually open to the digital main books that are based on cryptocurrencies.

"Virtual currency mendar who supports illegal transactions are a threat to the national security interests of the United States," said Brian Nelson, Sub -State Secretary of the Ministry of Finance for Terrorism and Financial Information.

Due to the central position of America in the global financial system,

US sanctions are a particularly powerful instrument. The measures implemented on Friday are intended to contain money traffic from and to blender.io.

According to Treasury, Blender.io has made it possible to transfer from Bitcoin worth over $ 500 million five years ago. The group "operates on the Bitcoin blockchain and relieves indiscriminately illegal transactions by disguising their origin, their goal and their counterparties".

An email with the request for a comment from blender.io was sent back as not deliverable.

The mixer supported the efforts of the Lazarus Group supported by North Korea, to wash the revenues from a recently carried out hack against a crypto network, which is used by Axie Infinity, a popular crypto game to play and earn, said Treasury. The hacker group is accused by the USA of stealing almost $ 620 million of crypto assets.

In addition to North Korea, the Ministry of Finance said that Blender.io made money laundering activities for the Ransomware group Conti associated with Russia. This is followed by the widespread concern of the role of the crypto industry in the bypass of Russian sanctions.

The sanctions against blender.io are also a reference to the more comprehensive ambitions of the US government to act against illegal crypto activities.

"While [Treasury] has targeted laundry services in the past few months, which are used by hackers, ransomware operators and other illegal actors. This is the first name of a mixer, which indicates progress in its strategy for reducing the crypto money laundering infrastructure," Andrew Fierman said.