EU Widens Crypto Sanctions on Belarus, Targets More Service Providers

The European Union has expanded its crypto-related sanctions against Belarus by broadening the prohibition on certain crypto roles and ownership interests to more service providers under the EU's MiCA (Markets in Crypto-Assets) framework.

Starting August 25, Belarusian nationals and residents will be barred from owning or controlling EU-based entities that provide MiCA-defined crypto services. This includes any other crypto-asset services that fall within MiCA's regulatory categories, such as operating trading platforms, exchanging crypto assets, executing client orders, and offering investment advice.

The new measure builds on a prior restriction that focused only on wallet, account, or custody-type services. It also comes shortly after the transition period for MiCA ended on July 1, intensifying compliance pressure on crypto firms operating in the EU.