The United Kingdom has imposed economic sanctions on Cryptomus, a cryptocurrency platform accused of facilitating payments for ransomware, narcotics, darknet markets, and other illicit activities. The platform, which has operated under various names including Certa Payments and Xeltox Enterprises, is alleged to help Russia bypass financial restrictions. On October 8, the U.K. froze Cryptomus’s assets in British banks and barred companies from engaging with it. The sanctions also targeted VexPay, TokenSpot, and Tsunami Payments.
Cryptomus has been a major payment processor for Russian cryptocurrency exchanges and cybercrime services, according to a December 2024 investigation. Despite a CAD $176 million fine from Canada for anti-money laundering violations, the platform continued operations under the name Heleket, offering no-KYC payment processing. Chainalysis reported that Cryptomus and Heleket processed more illicit funds than other tracked categories, with over 900 illicit counterparties in late 2025.
In April 2026, TRM Labs found that Cryptomus had processed over $7 billion in transactions since 2022, including those linked to child exploitation material, terrorist financing, and human trafficking. The platform’s transaction volume dropped after introducing KYC rules, but Heleket continued to operate without such safeguards. Richard Sanders, a blockchain analyst, noted that the U.K. sanctions are significant because they can effectively halt operations, unlike unenforceable fines.
The investigation revealed that Cryptomus’s parent company, Certa Payments, was linked to a 25-year-old Ukrainian woman who also headed firms like WS Management and Advisory Corporation. This entity regulated cryptocurrency and foreign exchange businesses in the disputed Western Sahara region, raising questions about the legitimacy of such operations.