zkSNACKs, the developer behind Wasabi Wallet, has taken the step to indefinitely block U.S. citizens and residents from accessing its services, extending the ban to U.S. citizens residing abroad as well. This decision comes in response to recent events, particularly the arrests of the founders of Samourai Wallet and legal actions against developers associated with Tornado Cash.
The company announced in a blog update that they are now strictly prohibiting U.S. users from utilizing their services, implementing IP address blocking for U.S. residents across wasabiwallet.io, api.wasabiwallet.io, and zksnacks.com.
The move is believed to be prompted by the arrests of Samourai Wallet founders on charges related to money laundering. Additionally, the recent arrest of Roman Storm, co-founder of Tornado Cash, has raised concerns about potential legal implications for developers of privacy-focused cryptocurrency services. Storm and his co-developer Roman Semenov face allegations from the Department of Justice of facilitating over $1 billion in money laundering activities, including transactions purportedly linked to North Korea’s Lazarus Group.
You can also freely share your thoughts and comments about the topic in the comment section. Additionally, don’t forget to follow us on our Telegram, YouTube, and Twitter channels for the latest news and updates.