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GameFi Guides

Watchdog Accuses Trump’s Crypto Venture Of Selling Tokens To North Korea, Iran

by admin September 21, 2025


Trusted Editorial content, reviewed by leading industry experts and seasoned editors. Ad Disclosure

United States President Donald Trump’s crypto venture is facing fresh scrutiny after a government watchdog said the project sold tokens to buyers linked to hostile or sanctioned actors, including entities tied to North Korea and Iran.

The watchdog’s findings have added a political and regulatory sting to a token that has already drawn heavy public attention and big holdings by the Trump family.

Watchdog Accuses WLFl Of Questionable Sales

According to a new report from Accountable.US, World Liberty Financial Inc. — the firm behind the WLFI token — sold units to wallets that appear connected to groups or platforms of concern, such as addresses tied to North Korean actors and users who have interacted with Tornado Cash, the crypto-mixing service that regulators have flagged for money-laundering risks.

Image: Accountable.US

The watchdog released wallet examples and transaction links to support its claims. The label used by the watchdog — “American Sell-Out” — has been echoed by multiple news outlets and social posts that highlighted the report’s blunt language.

“Trump’s crypto empire is a vehicle for foreign actors to buy influence anonymously and without disclosure.”

Our executive director Tony Carrk reveals how Trump’s crypto venture puts U.S. workers and investors at risk. pic.twitter.com/8phS0blq41

— Accountable.US (@accountable_us) September 19, 2025

Reports have disclosed that at least some token buyers used foreign exchanges and services restricted to US users, which raises questions about whether some holders are based overseas or are using tools to mask their origin.

Foreign Links Raise National Security Concerns

The report’s authors argue the pattern merits national security attention because tokens tied to a high-profile US political family could become an avenue for influence or sanctions circumvention.

Based on Accountable.US’s analysis of WLFI’s top holders, at least 14 of the largest addresses — together holding over 6.7 billion tokens valued in the hundreds of millions at recent prices — have used platforms that are restricted for US customers, suggesting a strong possibility some are foreign.

WLFIUSD trading at $0.24 on the 24-hour chart: TradingView

The watchdog stopped short of asserting deliberate lawbreaking by World Liberty, but it urged official review.

US President Donald Trump’s family disclosures show the family controls a substantial stake in the project. Reports have noted that the family holds 22.5 billion WLFI tokens; that stake has been valued at about $5 billion at certain market levels, though prices have swung since the token’s debut.

Those figures have intensified calls for transparency about who bought the coin and how sales were screened.

Markets Notice And Regulators Watch

Market moves have already followed the headlines. WLFI’s price fell sharply on its opening day of public trading, a sign that investor appetite was mixed even before the watchdog’s report.

Trading volatility and public debate over token freezes and unlocks have kept WLFI in the headlines as exchanges and token holders react.

Featured image from Meta, chart from TradingView

Editorial Process for bitcoinist is centered on delivering thoroughly researched, accurate, and unbiased content. We uphold strict sourcing standards, and each page undergoes diligent review by our team of top technology experts and seasoned editors. This process ensures the integrity, relevance, and value of our content for our readers.





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September 21, 2025 0 comments
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Israel
NFT Gaming

Israel’s Counterterror Unit Flags Large Stablecoin Flows Linked To Iran

by admin September 17, 2025


Trusted Editorial content, reviewed by leading industry experts and seasoned editors. Ad Disclosure

Israeli authorities have identified a cluster of crypto addresses they say moved about $1.5 billion in Tether (USDT) that is connected to Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.

According to reports, the National Bureau for Counter Terror Financing (NBCTF) of Israel flagged 187 wallet addresses and asked platforms and service providers to take action.

Immediate freezes were limited, and most of the funds appear to have been moved before they could be held.

Israel Names Wallets And Asks For Action

The NBCTF supplied a list of 187 addresses it believes are tied to the IRGC. Tether responded by blacklisting 39 of the flagged wallets, which blocked those addresses from further on-chain transactions.

Reports indicate that only about $1.5 million is presently frozen or held, while the larger sum — roughly $1.5 billion in incoming transfers over time — has largely been shifted through other addresses and services.

Image: MEXC

Questions Remain Over Ownership And Flows

Reports have disclosed that blockchain analytics firms have urged caution about attributing direct ownership of every flagged address to the IRGC.

Companies like Elliptic have said that some wallets could belong to exchanges or third-party services used by many different users, which complicates claims of direct control.

Tracing crypto flows is possible but messy, and the distinction between transaction volume through a wallet and direct ownership matters in legal terms.

How The Funds Were Handled On-Chain

Israeli authorities say they tracked large USDT flows into the flagged network over months. While a small portion was located and frozen, most of the tokens were reported to have been moved before enforcement steps could be completed.

As of today, the market cap of cryptocurrencies stood at $3.96 trillion. Chart: TradingView

Tether’s decision to blacklist some wallets shows one way stablecoin issuers can act, but the moves do not recover funds that have already left the flagged addresses. The situation highlights how quickly assets can be shifted among many addresses.

Why It Matters For Sanctions And Crypto Compliance

According to market and regulatory coverage, the case illustrates the ongoing challenge of stopping sanctioned actors from using crypto to move value.

Stablecoins like USDT are widely used for cross-border transfers, and their scale makes them attractive for many users.

Lawmakers and regulators will likely watch how exchanges, wallets, and issuers respond, since cooperation by private firms can make enforcement more effective.

Featured image from Meta, chart from TradingView

Editorial Process for bitcoinist is centered on delivering thoroughly researched, accurate, and unbiased content. We uphold strict sourcing standards, and each page undergoes diligent review by our team of top technology experts and seasoned editors. This process ensures the integrity, relevance, and value of our content for our readers.



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September 17, 2025 0 comments
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GameFi Guides

Israel Calls for Seizure of $1.5 Million in Tether Allegedly Tied to Iran

by admin September 16, 2025



In brief

  • Israel’s National Bureau for Counter Terror Financing has released a list of 187 USDT addresses.
  • It alleges the addresses, which collectively received $1.5 billion, are linked to Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and must be blacklisted.
  • Blockchain data firm Elliptic said it couldn’t be certain if all the addresses were linked to Iran’s armed forces.

Israel on Monday published a list of crypto addresses, alleging Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps used them to receive $1.5 billion in USDT.

Israel’s National Bureau for Counter Terror Financing said in its announcement that the crypto across the 187 addresses should be seized. 

The NBCTF did not immediately respond to Decrypt‘s questions but blockchain analytics firm Elliptic said the addresses received the huge amount of crypto in the form of Tether’s USDT. 



Elliptic added that it wasn’t able to say for certain if all the addresses were directly linked to Iran “since some of them may be controlled by cryptocurrency services and could be part of wallet infrastructure used to facilitate transactions for many customers.”

It added that the assets could be seized because they are in the form of USDT. Tether’s USDT stablecoin is the fourth biggest digital asset by market cap and the most-traded virtual coin, with a 24-hour trading volume of over $101 billion. 

Tether, the company that issues the digital coin, has worked with law enforcement in the past to freeze USDT linked to criminal activity.  

Pro-Israel hacking group Gonjeshke Darande in June drained $90 million in crypto from Iranian exchange Nobitex, alleging it had links to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. 

But compliance firm Crystal Intelligence told Decrypt that many Nobitex customers were likely hit by the hack. 

Iran has long used cryptocurrency to circumvent sanctions. Last week, the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Massachusetts filed a civil forfeiture action to recover $584,741 in USDT stablecoins from an Iranian national who provided technology to the Iranian military.

Iran’s IRGC is believed to be one of the country’s biggest Bitcoin miners.

Israel and Iran have been arch regional enemies for decades. The two attacked each other in a 12-day war in June, roiling crypto and other markets. 

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September 16, 2025 0 comments
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NFT Gaming

DOJ Seeks to Seize $500K in USDT from Iran Drone Supplier’s Private Wallet

by admin September 13, 2025



In brief

  • The U.S. DOJ has filed a civil forfeiture action to recover over $500,000 in USDT from an Iranian national.
  • Per the DOJ, Mohammad Abedini is founder of Iranian firm SDRA, which supplies technology used in Iran’s Shahed military drones.
  • The USDT tokens were said to be kept in an unhosted cryptocurrency wallet, posing questions over how the seizure could be effected.

The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Massachusetts has filed a civil forfeiture action to recover approximately $584,741 in Tether (USDT) stablecoins from an Iranian national who provided technology to the Iranian military.

The tokens were said to be kept in an unhosted cryptocurrency wallet, though authorities gave no further details.

Mohammad Abedini, 39, is founder and managing director of San’at Danesh Rahpooyan Aflak Co. (SDRA), an Iranian firm that supplies technology used in drones to the country’s military.

SDRA provides navigation equipment to the firm that produces Shahed drones, which have been widely used in Iran’s drone strikes, by Russia in the war in Ukraine, and by several Middle Eastern military groups.

In January 2024, three U.S. service members were killed on a military base in northern Jordan. Later analysis revealed that an Iranian Shahed UAV using SDRA’s Sepehr Navigation System was responsible for the attack, according to the DOJ.

Abedini is charged with providing material support to foreign terrorist organizations resulting in death, as well as conspiring to procure sensitive U.S. technology used in military drones. He was detained by Italian authorities in December 2024, but was released in January 2025. Per the DOJ, he is now believed to be in Iran.

According to claims from the nonprofit Iran Watch, from 2016 to 2024, Abedini and his business partner allegedly smuggled U.S.-origin electronics and technical data from American manufacturers and re-exported them from Switzerland to Iran. Because the devices were so small, they could reportedly have been carried in a suitcase. These allegations have not yet been proven.

Can the government seize crypto from private wallets?

Seizing crypto from private wallets is not straightforward. Unlike centralized exchanges such as Coinbase or Binance, there is no intermediary for governments to compel—wallet owners control their own keys. However, the U.S. government has managed to do it before.

In 2022, the DOJ seized 94,000 BTC (worth roughly $3.6 billion at the time) from Ilya Lichtenstein and Heather Morgan, who carried out the record-breaking Bitfinex hack.

According to the announcement, investigators traced the stolen Bitcoin through multiple mixers and eventually located the couple’s private keys after gaining access to an online cloud storage account.

In other instances, federal investigators have performed digital forensics on confiscated laptops in order to obtain private keys, as in the case of Silk Road founder Ross Ulbricht.

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September 13, 2025 0 comments
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Iran Crypto Flows Fall 11% Amid Israel Conflict And Nobitex Hack
GameFi Guides

Iran Crypto Flows Fall 11% Amid Israel Conflict and Nobitex Hack

by admin August 27, 2025



Iran’s cryptocurrency market has taken a major hit in 2025, with trading flows falling 11% as tensions with Israel escalate and a massive hack shakes confidence in local exchanges.

According to blockchain analytics firm TRM Labs, Iranian crypto flows reached $3.7 billion between January and July, down from last year’s levels.

The biggest drop occurred in June and July when nuclear talks collapsed, a 12-day war with Israel, and power cuts in Iran. TRM Labs noted that Israeli cyber and kinetic operations, combined with government shutdowns, fueled the downturn.

Adding to the turmoil, Nobitex, Iran’s largest crypto exchange handling 87% of the country’s transactions, suffered a $90 million hack on June 18. 

The hacking, which was done by a pro-Israel hacking group known as Predatory Sparrow, caused liquidity to slow down, transactions to slow down, and users to go to riskier foreign exchanges with lax KYC procedures.

The heat was added in July when stablecoin issuer Tether blacklisted 42 addresses associated with Iran, locking up millions of USDT. This action caused a stampede of Iranians to sell their TRON-based USDT and switch to Dai on Polygon.

Despite the setbacks, crypto remains vital for many Iranians. With soaring inflation and tough sanctions cutting off access to the global financial system, people continue to rely on stablecoins as a safe store of value. 

TRM Labs added that Iran also uses crypto for political purposes, including buying sensitive goods from China and funding espionage, though illicit activity makes up less than 1% of total volume.

Also Read: Crypto Trader Moves $215M Bitcoin on Hyperliquid to Buy ETH



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August 27, 2025 0 comments
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