[News Brief] Apr 22, morning | U.S. Treasury Sanctions Iran-Linked Crypto Wallets and Freezes $344 Million

U.S. Treasury Sanctions Iran-Linked Crypto Wallets and Freezes $344 Million

The U.S. Treasury announced that it has sanctioned multiple cryptocurrency wallets linked to Iran and frozen $344 million worth of crypto assets.

According to Odaily, U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said the department is tracking and blocking financial networks associated with the Iranian regime. Earlier, Tether said it had assisted the U.S. government in freezing $344 million worth of crypto assets held at two addresses.

Chainalysis analyzed the wallets and said their activity patterns resembled on-chain fund flows associated with wallets tied to Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). U.S. authorities said blockchain analysis showed the funds moved through intermediary addresses and transacted with wallets linked to Iran’s central bank, suggesting use for sanctions evasion and facilitating international trade.

As background, Iran’s cryptocurrency holdings in 2025 were estimated at $7.8 billion, with the IRGC reportedly accounting for about 50% of that total as of the fourth quarter of last year.

Polish Exchange Zondacrypto Faces Bankruptcy Risk, 99% of Bitcoin Reserves Missing

Reports said Przemyslaw Kral, CEO of Polish digital asset exchange Zondacrypto, has departed for Israel, while the exchange is facing possible bankruptcy. About 99% of its Bitcoin reserves are reportedly missing, and total losses could exceed $100 million.

Wu Blockchain, citing Polish outlet Onet, reported that Kral may be difficult to extradite because he also holds Israeli citizenship. Kral claimed he could not access roughly 4,500 BTC and said the private keys were held by founder Sylwester Suszek.

Suszek has been missing since 2022, and Polish prosecutors believe he may have been murdered. Zondacrypto has now halted withdrawals, and its management team has stepped down.

Polish authorities have launched criminal and financial investigations into the matter. Key issues include poor reserve management and whether customer assets were lost.

Tennessee Bans Crypto ATMs Statewide

The U.S. state of Tennessee has imposed a statewide ban on cryptocurrency ATMs.

According to Odaily, Governor Bill Lee signed the relevant bill, HB 2505, making Tennessee the second U.S. state after Indiana to enact a full ban.

The law will take effect on July 1. Under the legislation, installing or operating a Bitcoin ATM classified as a “virtual currency self-service terminal” will constitute a Class A misdemeanor, punishable by up to one year in jail and a $2,500 fine. Stores that allow such machines to be installed may also face legal liability.

Previously, many U.S. states had tightened regulation of crypto ATMs through licensing requirements and transaction limits. A full ban, however, remains rare and is being interpreted as part of a stronger crackdown on fraud involving crypto ATMs.

White House Says Investigation Into Fed Chair Powell Is Ongoing

According to Odaily, the White House said its investigation involving Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell is still ongoing.

The White House indicated that matters related to the Fed are not necessarily being dropped, suggesting continued uncertainty surrounding Powell, the head of U.S. monetary policy.

Pressure and investigation surrounding the Fed chair could raise concerns over the rate path and policy independence, potentially weighing on major crypto assets such as Bitcoin and Ethereum.

Grayscale Stakes 102,400 ETH Over 10 Hours

Grayscale reportedly staked 102,400 ETH worth about $237 million through its Ethereum Mini Trust over the past 10 hours.

On April 25, PANews, citing Lookonchain monitoring, reported the transaction. The staking activity is being interpreted as part of Grayscale’s broader effort to expand the use of its Ethereum-related assets under management.

2,770 BTC Moved to Kraken

Source: @whale_alert. An anonymous wallet transferred 2,770 BTC to Kraken.

The transaction was worth about $215.93 million. Large deposits to exchanges are often interpreted as potential sell-side supply and may be viewed as a short-term overhang for Bitcoin.

However, this was a single on-chain transfer, and whether it will actually lead to selling or affect the market remains unconfirmed.

$168.3 Million in USDT Moved From Ceffu to Unknown Wallet

Whale Alert reported that $168.3 million worth of USDT was transferred from Ceffu to an unknown wallet. The transaction was detected on the Ethereum network, and the purpose of the transfer has not been identified.

According to the source, the amount moved was 168,328,525 USDT ($168,362,190). It remains unclear whether the transfer was an internal fund reallocation, an over-the-counter (OTC) deal, or a custodial movement.

Large on-chain fund transfers can influence short-term market sentiment, but it is difficult to determine directionality until the nature of the transaction is confirmed.

Aave DAO Proposes 25,000 ETH Contribution to Help Recover From Kelp rsETH Bridge Incident

Aave DAO has introduced a proposal to contribute 25,000 ETH to support ongoing recovery efforts following the Kelp rsETH bridge incident.

According to Wu Blockchain, the proposal would allocate 25,000 ETH from the Aave DAO treasury as a fixed contribution in support of recovery efforts led by DeFi United.

The initial deficit from the April 18 Kelp rsETH bridge incident was estimated at about 163,183 ETH. After accounting for frozen assets and expected recoveries, the current shortfall has been reduced to about 75,081 ETH.

So far, support commitments totaling around 14,570 ETH have been secured, while Mantle has provided a credit line of up to 30,000 ETH. Under the proposal, any additional contributed funds would first be used to repay Mantle’s loan.

The move is part of a broader effort to restore confidence in the rsETH ecosystem and demonstrate coordinated action across the DeFi sector.

AWS Marketplace Integrates Chainlink Data Services

AWS Marketplace has integrated Chainlink’s Data Feeds, Data Streams, and Proof of Reserve services. Developers can now connect AWS computing, storage, database, and API capabilities with blockchain smart contracts.

According to PANews, citing The Block, AWS said Chainlink’s oracle infrastructure provides secure bi-directional connectivity between AWS resources and on-chain smart contracts. This allows institutions to build tokenized asset and smart contract applications within the familiar AWS environment.

The launch broadens the bridge between traditional cloud infrastructure and blockchain systems. Chainlink has previously expanded its role in connecting traditional financial institutions with blockchain-based data infrastructure.

Mastercard Joins Blockchain Security Standards Council

Mastercard has joined the Blockchain Security Standards Council (BSSC), a nonprofit consortium responsible for developing and maintaining blockchain security standards.

According to PANews on April 25, Mastercard will also participate in the BSSC’s security and privacy working group, where it plans to contribute technical guidance and operational experience.

According to the source, BSSC participants also include Figment, Coinbase, Fireblocks, and Anchorage Digital. Mastercard’s participation is seen as part of a broader trend of traditional payments companies becoming more involved in blockchain security standard-setting.