US DOJ Seeks Forfeiture of $61 Million in Crypto Linked to Iranian Oil Sales

The US Department of Justice has filed a civil forfeiture complaint seeking $61 million in cryptocurrency tied to Iran's black-market oil sales. The funds allegedly financed Iranian government and military activities, including those of the IRGC.

Prosecutors claim that a $1.5 billion sanctions-evasion pipeline was used, which moved money through unhosted wallets. This network allegedly transferred large sums directly to an Iranian crypto exchange and to wallets and businesses tied to the IRGC.

The complaint names two Chinese firms, Blessed Trust and Hexa Whale, as coordinators that used Binance trading accounts to launder proceeds before routing funds back to Iran. Blessed Trust marketed itself as a digital-asset custodial services provider, while Hexa Whale posed as a legitimate commodities brokerage.