Check · Last checked 12 October 2026

Is this crypto wallet sanctioned? How to check.

The short answer

OFAC, the Treasury’s sanctions office, lists crypto addresses on its Specially Designated Nationals (SDN) List as identifiers on the entries of sanctioned people and companies, labelled “Digital Currency Address” with the currency code, such as XBT for bitcoin or ETH for ether. The SDN file of 9 October 2026 carried about 1,066 of them across 106 entries.

To check an address, paste it exactly into the ID # field of OFAC’s free Sanctions List Search. It returns exact matches only. A match means stop. No match means only that the address is not listed; OFAC says its address listings are not likely to be exhaustive.

General information, not legal advice. Checked against the primary sources listed at the foot of this page on 12 October 2026. Rules change; confirm against the source before you rely on it.

How to check an address

  1. Copy the address exactlyCopy and paste, never retype. One wrong character and an exact-match search finds nothing.
  2. Search the ID # fieldIn Sanctions List Search, enter the address in the ID # field (OFAC FAQ 594). The search is exact-match only for this field.
  3. Check the business behind itIf the address belongs to a company, an exchange or an over-the-counter desk, search its name too, and see our guide to checking a company. Under OFAC’s 50 Percent Rule, a company owned 50 percent or more by blocked persons is blocked even if it is not listed.
  4. Screen in bulk from the filesFor more than a few addresses, use the SDN data files from OFAC’s Sanctions List Service. SDN.XML and SDN_ADVANCED.XML hold each address as its own identifier. The CSV keeps addresses in the remarks column, and long remarks spill into a separate comments file, so a CSV-only screen can miss addresses.
  5. Write it downThe address, the date, the list publication date and the result.

If you find a match

Stop the transaction. For US persons, OFAC’s guidance is to block the virtual currency (deny all parties access to it) and report it to OFAC within 10 business days, then annually while it stays blocked (FAQ 646). OFAC FAQ 562 adds that if you find an address you believe a sanctioned person owns or is associated with, you should block it and report it even if OFAC has not listed it. Get legal advice before you act on a match.

What a clean result does not mean

  • Not exhaustive. OFAC lists the addresses it chooses to publish; a sanctioned person can use others.
  • Listings change. OFAC adds and removes addresses. On 21 March 2025 it removed the Tornado Cash entry and its addresses from the SDN List. Check against the current list each time.
  • “Blacklisted” is broader. Exchanges and token issuers can freeze addresses under their own terms. Those are private lists, not OFAC’s.
  • One address is not the business. A clean address says nothing about who controls it. For a business counterparty, check the company as well.

For businesses that move crypto

OFAC’s Sanctions Compliance Guidance for the Virtual Currency Industry (15 October 2021) recommends a risk-based programme: management commitment, a risk assessment, internal controls, testing and training. It recommends screening customers at onboarding and on an ongoing basis, screening transactions for wallet, physical and IP addresses, geolocation and IP blocking, and a lookback when a new address is listed. OFAC sanctions liability is strict, so the record of each check matters.

BSJ’s signed counterparty check is for over-the-counter desks, crypto ATM and payout operators, merchants and small exchanges. We screen the addresses and the companies you send against the official lists and return a signed, dated record of which lists, which versions and what was found. We screen addresses and companies against public lists. We never trace funds to identify a person. Today the check covers government sanctions lists and our public-source incident index. It is not full on-chain analytics. Each report is signed by a named reviewer.

Questions people ask

How do I check if a crypto wallet address is sanctioned?
Paste the exact address into the ID # field of OFAC's free Sanctions List Search at sanctionssearch.ofac.treas.gov. OFAC FAQ 594 says that field returns exact matches only. For many addresses, screen against the SDN.XML or SDN_ADVANCED.XML files from OFAC's Sanctions List Service.
Does OFAC list every sanctioned crypto address?
No. OFAC FAQ 562 says its digital currency address listings are not likely to be exhaustive, and that anyone who finds an address they believe a sanctioned person owns or is associated with should block it and report it to OFAC.
What should I do if a wallet address matches the SDN List?
Stop the transaction and get legal advice. OFAC's FAQ 646 says US persons should block the virtual currency by denying all parties access to it and report it to OFAC within 10 business days, then annually while it remains blocked.
Is Tornado Cash still sanctioned?
No. OFAC removed the Tornado Cash entry and its addresses from the SDN List on 21 March 2025. Some individuals linked to it remain listed under other programmes, so check each address against the current list.
Does BSJ trace crypto or identify wallet owners?
No. BSJ screens addresses and companies against public lists and returns a signed, dated record of the result. It never traces funds to identify a person.

Primary sources

General information, not legal advice. BSJ Ventures publishes methods; it never publishes clients, cases or verdicts, and it claims no relationship with any agency or maker named here.

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