Sanctions Screening
Crypto sanctions screening
across OFAC, EU & UK.
Paste any wallet address. Get a sanctions screening result across the OFAC SDN, EU consolidated, and UK HMT lists, with direct match and indirect exposure, across 18 chains. Free for up to 5 checks a month.
Why crypto sanctions screening matters
Since 2018, OFAC has added hundreds of specific cryptocurrency wallet addresses to the Specially Designated Nationals (SDN) list. Transacting with one of those addresses, even unintentionally, can expose a U.S. person or business to civil penalties in the millions and, in egregious cases, criminal liability. The EU and UK regimes apply similar (though differently enforced) frameworks.
Sanctions liability is strict — intent doesn't matter. The only defense is documented, reasonable screening at the time of the transaction. That makes a clean screening log one of the highest-value compliance artifacts a crypto business can maintain.
What WalletDNA screens against
OFAC SDN
US Treasury Specially Designated Nationals list, including all crypto-specific designations (Lazarus, Tornado Cash, ransomware operators, sanctioned-jurisdiction actors).
EU consolidated
European Union consolidated financial sanctions list including all EU asset freeze designations.
UK HMT
UK HM Treasury financial sanctions list, applicable to UK persons and any UK-touching transaction.
Direct match
Flags when the screened address itself appears on a sanctions list. Hard block.
Indirect exposure
Flags counterparty exposure: funds received from or sent to a sanctioned address. Requires analyst review.
A defensible screening workflow
- Screen at onboarding. Every customer's deposit address before they can fund the account.
- Screen every inbound. The originating address of every deposit, before crediting the balance.
- Screen every outbound. The destination address of every withdrawal, before releasing funds.
- Re-screen on a schedule. All monitored wallets, weekly at minimum. Sanctions designations are issued continuously.
- Preserve evidence. The report, the timestamp, the analyst decision. Audit trails are the defense.
See our OFAC sanctions guide for the full enforcement context and how to handle hits.
How WalletDNA sanctions screening compares
Most enterprise blockchain analytics platforms (Chainalysis, Elliptic, TRM Labs, Merkle Science) include sanctions screening as part of a larger compliance suite whose price buyers report in the five and six figures a year. None of those vendors publishes a list. AMLBot sells per-check bundles, publishes no rate for them, and its downstream reporting is limited. WalletDNA gives you the full screening result plus a downloadable PDF for the audit trail, self-serve, from $0/month.
Crypto sanctions screening FAQ
What is crypto sanctions screening?
Crypto sanctions screening checks blockchain addresses against government-issued sanctions lists, such as OFAC SDN, EU consolidated and UK HMT, to identify wallets associated with sanctioned individuals, entities, or jurisdictions. Transacting with a sanctioned address can expose your business to civil and criminal liability, even if the contact was unintentional.
Which sanctions lists matter for crypto?
OFAC (US Treasury) has the highest enforcement bar and the most consequential crypto designations, including specific wallet addresses tied to Lazarus Group, ransomware operators, sanctioned mixers (Tornado Cash, Sinbad), and sanctioned-jurisdiction actors. The EU consolidated and UK HMT lists also name wallet addresses and apply depending on your jurisdiction. WalletDNA screens against all three. The UN Security Council list names people and organisations but no wallet addresses, so there is nothing on it to match an address against.
When should I screen a wallet for sanctions?
Four moments matter: (1) at customer onboarding before the first deposit, (2) on every inbound transaction before crediting the balance, (3) on every outbound transaction before releasing funds, and (4) periodically — at least weekly — for all monitored wallets, since sanctions designations are updated continuously.
What is the difference between direct and indirect sanctions exposure?
Direct exposure means the wallet you screened IS on a sanctions list — a hard block. You cannot transact and must file a blocking report. Indirect exposure means the wallet has received funds from or sent funds to a sanctioned address — a risk signal that requires analyst judgment about recency, materiality, and number of hops. Both matter; the response differs.
What happens if I accidentally transact with a sanctioned wallet?
OFAC is a strict-liability regime — penalties can apply even without intent. The defense is documented process: reasonable screening at the time of the transaction. If a hit is discovered after the fact, freeze any related balances, file a blocking report within 10 business days, preserve the screening evidence, and consult compliance counsel before further action.
Screen a wallet against OFAC, EU & UK
Free for 5 checks per month. Instant result, downloadable PDF, full audit trail.
Try WalletDNA freeInformational only — not legal advice. Consult counsel for your specific obligations.