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Written question asked by Kevin Hollinrake (Conservative) on Monday, 29 June 2026, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Wednesday, 1 July 2026. It was answered by Rachel Blake (Labour) on Monday, 6 July 2026 on behalf of the Treasury.


Cryptocurrencies

Question

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the answer of 21 May 2026, to Question 2120, on Cryptocurrencies, and further to the HMT press release, "UK cracks down on backdoor Russian sanctions evasion with tough new measures", of 26 May 2026, what assessment has (a) HMT and (b) the Financial Conduct Authority, made of whether the Tether cryptocurrency is connected with (i) money-laundering and (ii) sanctions evasion.

Answer

HMT has assessed that cryptocurrencies, including USD Tether, are increasingly involved in sanctions evasion activity.

OFSI’s Cryptoasset Threat Assessment was published in July 2025 and highlighted the use of USD Tether by designated Russian cryptoasset exchanges, including Garantex and Grinex, and Russian money laundering groups. The assessment highlighted the exploitation of stablecoins, including USD Tether, by DPRK (North Korean) IT workers. The assessment also highlighted that, since 2022, Iran has increased its usage of cryptoassets as payment in foreign trade, including through the prevalent use of USD Tether.


Secondary information

Type
Written question
Reference
13856
Session
2026-27
Related items
Cryptocurrencies
Thursday, 21 May 2026
Written questions
House of Commons
Subjects
Money laundering Sanctions Cryptocurrencies
Link
View this Written question on www.parliament.uk