U.S. OFAC Sanctions Certain Tron-Based Virtual Asset Addresses Suspected to be Linked to Russia

The U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) has imposed sanctions on Tron (TRX) addresses linked to the bulletproof hosting provider Aeza Group.

According to the crypto-specialized media outlet The Block on the 2nd (Korean time), the Department of the Treasury determined that Aeza Group had provided bulletproof hosting services to the ransomware and malware organizations Meduza and Lumma. These groups have been identified as hacking organizations targeting sensitive information from the U.S. defense industrial base and technology companies.

The Treasury further explained that Aeza Group also provided bulletproof hosting services to the Russian darknet illegal drug trading platform BalckSprut.

Accordingly, OFAC added four principal individuals and four related entities, including Aeza Group’s Tron-based virtual asset wallet addresses, to the Specially Designated Nationals and Blocked Persons (SDN) List. According to blockchain analysis firm Chainalysis, these wallet addresses were found to have received a total of $350,000 in virtual assets, which were subsequently cashed out through various exchanges.

Bradley Smith, Acting Under Secretary for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence, stated, "Cybercriminals are executing ransomware attacks, stealing U.S. technology, and selling drugs on the dark web with the help of Aeza Group."