Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) has shut down several crypto exchanges reportedly involved in illegal financial transactions since the start of 2021.
According to a statement by the SBU on Wednesday, the network of “clandestine cryptocurrency exchanges” were based in the country’s capital Kyiv and collectively processed a monthly turnover of $1.1 million in funds linked to criminal activity.
The SBU’s announcement claimed that the illegal crypto exchanges provided anonymous transaction services, which made them a money laundering risk. Indeed, Ukraine’s state security service stated that some individuals funneled funds through these platforms to organize protests across the country.
According to the SBU, these illegal funds came from e-wallets linked to banned Russian payment processors such as Qiwi, WebMoney and Yandex.
