CoinEx Emerges as Key Hub for Iran Sanctions Evasion, Involving Over $3.8 Billion in Funds

According to The Wall Street Journal, blockchain public-chain data analysis shows that Iranian entities have conducted over $3.84 billion in transactions via the cryptocurrency exchange CoinEx to circumvent U.S. economic sanctions. Investigators traced funds linked to two digital wallets controlled by the Central Bank of Iran and found connections to the $1.5 billion stolen by North Korean hackers from the Bybit exchange. After flowing through complex, multi-layered transaction paths, these funds ultimately entered CoinEx—making it one of the central channels through which Iran uses cryptocurrencies to bypass sanctions.