US Seeks $61M Crypto Forfeiture in Alleged Iranian Oil Scheme Crypto News

on September 15, 2026

U.S. prosecutors are moving to seize roughly $61 million in cryptocurrency they say is tied to a black-market Iranian oil operation. The case is a civil forfeiture request, not a done deal, and the allegations behind it remain unproven.

US Seeks $61 Million in Crypto Forfeiture

The government is seeking forfeiture of approximately $61 million in crypto allegedly linked to sales of Iranian oil, as reported by Decrypt, which read the underlying announcement. For related coverage, see Stack BTC Seeks $16M Gold Dealer Deal to Buy Bitcoin.

Cryptocurrency sought for civil forfeiture

Approximately $61 million

According to Decrypt, U.S. prosecutors seek civil forfeiture of approximately $61 million in cryptocurrency allegedly linked to Iranian oil sales. The allegations remain unproven; forfeiture is not final. The official announcement and complaint were not independently verified in the supplied research. Source: Decrypt.
The assets are described only as cryptocurrency. The specific tokens, wallets, and networks that make up the total have not been detailed in the available reporting. For related coverage, see South Korea Crypto Tax Delay Petition Tops 50,000 Signatures.
This is a request to seize property, not a completed seizure. Prosecutors are asking; a court has not granted it. For related coverage, see Kalshi Seeks US Approval for Single-Stock Perpetual Futures.

The Alleged Iranian Oil Connection

According to Decrypt, the complaint names two Chinese firms, Blessed Trust and Hexa Whale, alleged to have used Binance trading accounts to launder proceeds from Iranian oil.

A wallet network described in the filing as “Entity A” allegedly received and distributed more than $1.5 billion in oil proceeds, according to unconfirmed allegations in the government’s account. That figure is separate from the crypto now sought for forfeiture.

The reported beneficiaries include Iranian interests tied to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, a U.S.-designated terrorist organization. None of this has been proven in court. The crypto is described as linked to the alleged scheme, not established as proceeds of a crime.

Binance denied wrongdoing after Senator Richard Blumenthal requested records involving the firms in February, per Decrypt. That denial responded to earlier reports, not to this specific complaint. It echoes the scrutiny exchanges have faced in other cases, including law enforcement actions that have traced and clawed back illicit crypto proceeds.

What the Forfeiture Request Leaves Unresolved

Decrypt frames the action as a civil forfeiture complaint, not a completed forfeiture and not a criminal conviction. The allegations remain unproven.

No court outcome has been reported. There is no confirmation that a judge has granted the request, and the identities and full responses of every affected party are not established in the available material.

The original announcement points back to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York, though that page could not be independently read for this report. Like other high-profile filings where a party seeks approval or relief from regulators, a request is only the opening move.

So the question hanging over the case is simple: can prosecutors prove the money is what they say it is?

Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial or investment advice. Cryptocurrency and digital asset markets carry significant risk. Always do your own research before making decisions.

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