Key insights:
- Sanctions exposure increasingly follows transactions across platforms rather than remaining confined to individual addresses.
- Large exchanges face pressure to screen counterparties before funds reach internal customer accounts.
- Wallet restrictions can affect users even when they do not directly operate sanctioned crypto businesses.
Binance will block transactions involving HTX, EXMO and nine other crypto platforms from August 23. The restrictions follow regulatory developments and growing sanctions scrutiny across several jurisdictions.
Users should stop sending or receiving funds involving the affected services after the cutoff. Transactions may face compliance reviews, while related wallets could also face temporary restrictions.
August restrictions widen compliance controls
Binance announced the latest restrictions Friday as part of a phased compliance rollout during August. The exchange said regulatory requirements across its operating jurisdictions drove the measures.
The first restrictions took effect August 7 and covered Shelbit and Aban Tether Exchange. U.S. authorities sanctioned both platforms that day over alleged links to Iranian financial networks.
Another group followed on August 13. That phase covered A7 Nigeria, A7 Africa and PilotFinance Ltd. The largest round takes effect August 23 and covers 11 platforms. HTX and EXMO rank among the most prominent names in that group.
Effective date Platforms affected
August 7 Shelbit and Aban Tether Exchange
August 13 A7 Nigeria, A7 Africa and PilotFinance
August 23 HTX, EXMO, Rapira, Aifory Pro and seven others
The remaining August 23 platforms include ABCeX, WhiteBird, NoOnecrypto, Tradex, Monease, BitPapa and Exnode or Exnode Pay.
Users attempting transactions after applicable deadlines could trigger compliance checks. The exchange may restrict associated wallets while those reviews remain underway.
European sanctions put HTX under pressure
The August 23 deadline follows European Union sanctions measures targeting services accused of helping Russia bypass restrictions. Several platforms on the new list overlap with those measures.
The EU adopted its latest package on July 23. It expanded transaction restrictions against financial institutions and crypto services linked to alleged sanctions circumvention. HTX, EXMO, Rapira, BitPapa, Aifory Pro and several others appeared among affected crypto services. The restrictions take effect on August 23.
The measure involving HTX operates as a transaction ban rather than an asset freeze. EU persons and companies cannot conduct covered direct or indirect transactions after implementation. British authorities had already increased pressure on HTX months earlier. The United Kingdom designated Huobi Global S.A. on May 26.
Authorities alleged the company provided financial services connected with A7 LLC and Garantex Europe OU. British measures included financial and payment restrictions.
HTX challenged the designation’s reach and argued Huobi Global S.A. represented a separate legal entity. British sanctions authorities later said ownership rules brought HTX within the restrictions.
Earlier actions targeted Iran-linked services
Prior to the European sanctions, the U.S. had imposed other compliance obligations. Treasury Department launched an inquiry into Shelbit and Aban Tether Exchange on Aug. 7.
U.S. authorities say that Shelbit was involved in cryptocurrency deals with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps of Iran. Treasury also claimed that transactions with previously sanctioned Iranian exchanges took place through Aban Tether
Shelbit denied having intentionally facilitated money laundering, financing of terror or sanctions violations. Its previous management had stated that it had already ended in December 2025.
Hence, selecting counterparties and withdrawals is more important to users. Historical connections of wallets, however, can make screening and compliance reviewing easier.
Transaction screening goes into a difficult period
The restrictions demonstrate how more and more, everyday cryptocurrency transactions are affected by international sanctions. Exchanges are now having to evaluate their counterparties on a variety of regulatory regimes and evolving wallet networks.
Blockchain analytics have taken another hurdle in that direction. Researchers have examined wallet movements involving HTX following British sanctions.
HTX has described frequent wallet changes as routine security operations. The exchange has denied that those movements were designed to defeat sanctions screening.
For centralized exchanges, the compliance burden extends beyond blocking individual addresses. They must also identify indirect transfers connected with restricted services and potentially related entities.
Binance said users should avoid direct and indirect dealings with listed providers after their respective deadlines. Continued transactions could conflict with the exchange’s terms.
The policy also illustrates how sanctions enforcement can fragment cryptocurrency liquidity. Users may retain access to underlying blockchains while losing transfer routes between major centralized platforms.
Conclusion
Binance will expand its transaction restrictions on August 23 as sanctions and compliance requirements reshape crypto transfers. HTX, EXMO and nine other platforms will join services restricted earlier this month.
The measures do not prohibit ownership of every asset passing through those platforms. However, they create clear counterparty risks for users transferring funds between centralized services.
The broader message reaches beyond the listed companies. Crypto exchanges now face tighter expectations around sanctions screening, wallet monitoring and indirect transaction exposure.
