Binance will stop processing transactions involving 16 crypto platforms including HTX and EXMO, the exchange said on August 14, in an announcement addressed to all users rather than those in any particular jurisdiction.
The list matches the crypto services named in the EU’s 21st Russia sanctions package, plus two entities designated by the US Treasury on August 7.
Sixteen Platforms Across Three Dates
The announcement sets three effective dates. Shelbit, registered as Shelbit General Trading LLC, and Aban Tether Exchange took effect on August 7. A7 Nigeria, A7 Africa and PilotFinance Ltd took effect on August 13.
Eleven further platforms take effect on August 23: Rapira; Aifory Pro, registered as Sooty Ltd; ABCeX, registered as Nueva Cryptologia S.A.S DE C.V.; WhiteBird; NoOnecrypto INC.; Tradex, registered as Brightum LLC; Monease Ltd; BitPapa; Exnode and Exnode Pay, registered as Arvix; HTX, registered as Huobi Global SA; and EXMO Ltd.
Users should not directly or indirectly send to, receive from, or otherwise transact through Binance with these entities after the listed dates, according to the announcement. Attempted transactions may be held and subject to compliance review, restrictions may be applied to affected wallets while a review is under way, and such activity may constitute a breach of Binance’s terms of use.
List Matches the EU Package Entity for Entity
Binance attributes the measures to recent regulatory developments without naming a specific action. The 14 platforms in its August 13 and August 23 tranches correspond to the 14 crypto services named in the European Union’s 21st sanctions package against Russia, including the parenthetical legal entity names.
The Council of the European Union adopted that package on July 23 under Council Regulation 2026/1848 and Council Decision (CFSP) 2026/1849. The measure is a transaction ban rather than an asset freeze, prohibiting persons and firms in the bloc from dealing directly or indirectly with the listed services from August 23.
Shelbit and Aban Tether, the two entities Binance listed with an August 7 date, were designated by the US Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control on that date as part of an action targeting networks it said were used by the Iranian regime. The Crypto Times reported the designation.
EU Ban Covers the Bloc, Binance’s Covers Everyone
The EU transaction ban applies to EU, EEA and Swiss persons and firms. Binance’s announcement is headed as a general announcement, addressed to all users, and states no jurisdictional restriction on which accounts are affected.
Binance states it is required to adhere to regulatory requirements in the jurisdictions where it operates and that the measures are necessary to meet those requirements and to maintain a secure environment for users and their assets. The Crypto Times contacted Binance for comment at 1:25 pm UTC on August 14, including on whether the restrictions apply to accounts outside the EU.
HTX Has Disputed the Scope of the Designation
HTX, formerly known as Huobi, has said the sanctioned Panamanian-registered entity is distinct from its exchange operations, and that regulatory compliance remains a priority in the jurisdictions where it operates.
The EU regulation identifies the entry as HTX (Huobi Global SA). Reporting on the package has noted that the precise scope of the ban will depend on the official wording and on subsequent guidance from national competent authorities.
A sanctions designation is an administrative measure and not a finding of criminal liability. None of the platforms named has been convicted of an offence in connection with these actions.
UK Designated Four of the Same Platforms in May
The UK’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office designated 18 entities and individuals on May 26, including HTX, EXMO Exchange Limited, BitPapa and Rapira Group, in a package the government framed as targeting what it called the A7 network.
BitPapa has now been designated under three regimes: by OFAC in March 2024, by Ukraine in July 2025, and by the UK in May 2026. EXMO has announced it is winding down operations.
Blockchain analytics firm TRM Labs reported that flows from Huobi to a set of successor platforms grew roughly tenfold following an earlier enforcement action, from about $111 million to $1.13 billion, with the A7 network absorbing around $838 million of that.
The 14 services operate across six jurisdictions: Georgia, Panama, the United Arab Emirates, the Marshall Islands, Kyrgyzstan, and Belarus. A separate provision of the package bars Belarusian nationals and residents from owning, controlling, or managing crypto-asset service providers regulated under the Markets in Crypto-Assets framework from August 25.
Also Read: EU Crypto Measures Survive Diluted Sanctions Package as Russia Legalizes Crypto Trade
