Bybit, a leading global cryptocurrency exchange, has released a new Restricted Counterparty List, identifying dozens of crypto platforms, wallets, and organizations that are barred from using its services.
Major crypto platforms, payment processors, and mixers blacklisted
The exchange’s latest list names notable trading platforms such as Garantex, Bitzlato, EXMO, Payeer, and Nobitex among the restricted entities. A range of additional platforms also appear on the list, including Bitpapa, Chatex, Cryptex, Grinex, and Rapira. Bybit has further designated WhiteBird, OMPFinex, Ramzinex, HTX, and Wallex as restricted services.
Several payment processors and regional marketplaces, including Tetherland, Bit24, QvaPay, Huione Guarantee, and Xinbi Guarantee, are also flagged. Independent reports indicate Huione Guarantee and Xinbi Guarantee have faced scrutiny for enabling illicit fund movements across Southeast Asia.
Well-known mixer services such as Samourai Wallet, Bitcoin Fog, and ChipMixer are listed alongside darknet markets Sinbad and Hydra Market, reflecting Bybit’s ongoing efforts to address platforms associated with high-risk activities.
Among the platforms now blocked from Bybit’s services are high-profile exchanges, payment processors, and mixers that have attracted international enforcement attention in recent years.
Bybit cited terms under Section 23 of its Platform Terms and Section 28 of the BVAPO Terms as the basis for these restrictions. These provisions prohibit any dealings with organizations or individuals subject to global sanctions regimes.
The exchange stated it references sanctions lists maintained by authorities including the U.S. Treasury’s Specially Designated Nationals list and the European Union’s Consolidated Financial Sanctions List. Comparable registries from regulatory agencies in other jurisdictions are also used in screening processes.
| Type | Example Platforms Flagged |
|---|---|
| Trading platforms | Garantex, Bitzlato, EXMO, HTX |
| Payment processors | Payeer, Huione Guarantee, Xinbi Guarantee |
| Mixers | Samourai Wallet, ChipMixer, Bitcoin Fog |
| Darknet markets | Sinbad, Hydra Market |
Bybit emphasized that its compliance team actively and continuously screens all transactions for links to restricted entities, reserving the right to suspend or terminate any accounts found in violation, block funds, and escalate incidents to regulatory authorities.
Sanctioned organizations and user responsibility
In addition to trading platforms and wallets, the list includes organizations subject to sanctions due to serious security concerns. Notably, Lazarus Group, also known as Hidden Cobra, Hamas (Islamic Resistance Movement), Ansarallah (the Houthis), and ISIS-K (ISIS-Khorasan) are named as entities barred from using Bybit’s services.
Lazarus Group, a North Korean state-sponsored cybercrime organization, has been implicated in multiple high-profile crypto breaches. Hamas, Ansarallah, and ISIS-K are designated by various governments as terrorist groups involved in global financial crimes.
Mini dictionary: Lazarus Group is a North Korean hacking collective, officially backed by the state, known for orchestrating large-scale cyberattacks against crypto exchanges and financial institutions worldwide.
According to Bybit’s terms, users who transmit funds to, conduct transactions with, or otherwise interact with a restricted entity are in breach of the exchange’s rules. Customers are required to notify Bybit immediately if they discover any such violation in their activities.
Bybit states that it reserves all necessary rights to ensure compliance, including collaboration with law enforcement and regulatory agencies in multiple jurisdictions.
The exchange may suspend or close user accounts, restrict access to assets, and liquidate affected positions where links to banned parties are confirmed. Bybit has not indicated a specific update schedule for expanding or revising the restricted list.
Industry compliance pressures intensify
Bybit’s announcement reflects an industry-wide move among major exchanges to strengthen controls around sanctioned counterparties. Exchanges worldwide are facing increasing pressure from financial regulators to identify and block entities associated with illicit finance or international sanctions.
A spokesperson for Bybit described the new list as a reference point to help users avoid accidental breaches of regulations by transacting with prohibited parties.
This action demonstrates ongoing adjustments in exchange compliance frameworks as global standards evolve for monitoring illicit finance and upholding sanctions obligations.
