zkSNACKs banned American users from Wasabi Wallet as part of a regulatory crackdown, following the arrest of the Samourai Wallet founders.
TakeAway Points:
- Wasabi Wallet creator zkSNACKs prohibits US users in the wake of the money laundering arrests of Samourai Wallet creators.
- IP address blocking is in place on wasabiwallet.io and other websites in order to impose the ban on citizens of the United States.
- The Department of Justice has accused the co-founder of Tornado Cash of helping to launder over $1 billion in money, and actions have been taken in response.
US Crackdown on Virtual Private Funds
The creator of the privacy-focused Bitcoin wallet Wasabi Wallet, zkSNACKs, has made a major announcement that may affect the cryptocurrency market: it will permanently exclude residents and citizens of the United States from utilising its services.
This decision, which is explained in full in a blog post dated April 27, 2024, follows increased regulatory scrutiny and enforcement efforts against privacy-focused crypto businesses by U.S. authorities.
Accessing the websites of Wasabi Wallet, downloading the wallet, and making use of any associated goods or services, such as RPC interfaces and APIs, are all prohibited under the ban. The implementation of this step involves barring U.S. residents’ IP addresses from accessing wasabiwallet.io, api.wasabiwallet.io, and zksnacks.com.
Regulatory Measures Cause a Stir
Recent legal actions against other Bitcoin wallets that value privacy are what led to zkSNACKs’ drastic action. The arrest of Samourai Wallet creators on accusations of money laundering has caused significant upheaval in the cryptocurrency world.
This incident happened not too long after Roman Storm, one of the co-founders of Tornado Cash, was arrested. He and his co-developer are accused of helping to launder over $1 billion in proceeds, some of which include transactions for the Lazarus Group of North Korea.
Companies such as zkSNACKs have taken preventative measures to deny access to their services to Americans, fearing that these developments may negatively impact the future of privacy-enhancing crypto services in the country.
The Corresponding Effect
Other companies in the cryptocurrency industry have also been impacted by the enforcement actions against Samourai Wallet and the wider ramifications for privacy-focused crypto services, in addition to zkSNACKs.
On April 26, 2024, Phoenix Wallet creator and Lightning Network service provider ACINQ announced its withdrawal from the U.S. market, citing the unpredictability of the legal landscape. These actions reflect the growing apprehension among cryptocurrency service providers regarding their potential classification as Money Services Businesses (MSBs) under U.S. law, which would expose them to more onerous regulatory obligations.
Enterprises like zkSNACKs have taken a defensive stance as a result of the FBI’s seizure of the Samourai Wallet website and the warning that followed against “cryptocurrency money transmission enterprises.”
About:
Wasabi is an open-source, non-custodial Bitcoin wallet for Mac, Linux, and Windows that puts privacy first. It was introduced in 2018 by zkSNACKs. It can be loaded on computers that are malware-prone. If you use two-factor authentication, shift most of your bitcoins to cold storage, lock your computer, or create a strong passphrase, it will be more difficult for someone to steal your bitcoins. CoinJoin, Tor, and coin control features are embedded right in.
With this wallet, you have total control over your bitcoins. As a result, no third party can freeze or steal your money. Nevertheless, you remain responsible for safeguarding and preserving your funds.
Though many of the top bitcoin wallets offer a high level of protection for storing your digital assets, incorrect security for safekeeping your crypto assets, improper security practices on behalf of the user can lead to a complete loss of funds.
