Audit log

Every state-changing event for Aban Tether: moderation decisions on community submissions, plus corrections and updates from the news pipeline. URL-based decisions are designed to carry three independent witnesses — the original source, an Internet Archive snapshot, and a Solana memo signed by our publicly-disclosed publisher key. Archive coverage is still being backfilled, so each decision below reports its own snapshot status rather than assuming one exists.

1. #1publishby system:backfill

   2026-08-07 23:09:41Z
   Score: ? → ? (no score change)
   anchorpending

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   {"actor":"system:backfill","investigation_id":"a1a38396-d677-46f1-8b7a-1db34180ab43","kind":"publish","page_slug":"aban-tether","published_at":"2026-08-07T23:09:41.219Z","sequence_num":1,"snapshot":{"content_type":"investigation","entity_name":"Aban Tether","sections":[{"content":"On August 7, 2026, the U.S. Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) designated Aban Tether on the Specially Designated Nationals and Blocked Persons (SDN) List. The designation was made pursuant to Executive Order 13902, which authorizes the blocking of property of persons operating in designated sectors of the Iranian economy, including the financial sector. The action was announced jointly with the sanctioning of Shelbit Exchange, a Dubai-based platform with alleged IRGC connections. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent stated: 'Whether in dollars, rials, or crypto, Treasury will hunt down and dismantle the illicit financial networks that keep the regime afloat.' OFAC alleged that Aban Tether 'processed millions of dollars in transactions involving sanctioned Iranian exchanges, including Nobitex, Wallex, Bitpin and Ramzinex,' characterizing its role as that of an intermediary enabling sanctioned entities to access global crypto markets. All property and interests in property of Aban Tether within U.S. jurisdiction, or in the possession of U.S. persons, are blocked as a result of this designation.","heading":"OFAC Designation and Legal Basis","severity":"critical","sources":[{"credibility":1,"name":"Treasury Sanctions Crypto Exchanges Funding Iran's IRGC and Enabling Illicit Finance — U.S. Department of the Treasury press release sb0598","type":"regulatory","url":"https://home.treasury.gov/news/press-releases/sb0598"},{"credibility":2,"name":"U.S. sanctions Iran-linked crypto exchanges Shelbit and Aban Tether — CoinDesk","type":"news_article","url":"https://www.coindesk.com/policy/2026/08/07/u-s-widens-iran-crypto-crackdown-with-sanctions-on-two-exchanges"},{"credibility":2,"name":"US Treasury's OFAC Sanctions 2 Iran-Linked Crypto Exchanges — CoinTelegraph","type":"news_article","url":"https://cointelegraph.com/news/us-treasury-sanctions-iran-crypto-exchanges"}]},{"content":"OFAC alleged that Aban Tether operated as a transaction-processing node between multiple Iranian digital asset platforms that were themselves already on the SDN list at the time of the Aban Tether designation. The four named counterparty exchanges — Nobitex, Wallex, Bitpin, and Ramzinex — were collectively designated by OFAC on June 2, 2026, under the 'Economic Fury' campaign and together represented approximately 78% of Iran's attributed 2025 crypto volume of USD 9.9 billion. By allegedly routing transactions through Aban Tether after those designations, the arrangement is said to have allowed the sanctioned platforms to continue accessing global cryptocurrency markets. OFAC characterized these flows as facilitating illicit financing that ultimately supported the IRGC. The exact on-chain wallet addresses attributed to Aban Tether were not publicly listed in the press release text available at the time of this investigation.","heading":"Alleged Role in Iran's Sanctions-Evasion Network","severity":"critical","sources":[{"credibility":1,"name":"Treasury Sanctions Crypto Exchanges Funding Iran's IRGC and Enabling Illicit Finance — U.S. Department of the Treasury press release sb0598","type":"regulatory","url":"https://home.treasury.gov/news/press-releases/sb0598"},{"credibility":1,"name":"Economic Fury Targets Iran's Largest Digital Asset Exchange for Terror Finance and Sanctions Evasion (June 2026) — U.S. Department of the Treasury press release sb0519","type":"regulatory","url":"https://home.treasury.gov/news/press-releases/sb0519"},{"credibility":2,"name":"Three Enforcement Layers in Five Months: OFAC Designates Iran's Domestic Crypto Exchanges — TRM Labs","type":"research","url":"https://www.trmlabs.com/resources/blog/three-enforcement-layers-in-five-months-ofac-designates-irans-domestic-crypto-exchanges"},{"credibility":1,"name":"US sanctions Dubai crypto exchange for aiding Iran's IRGC, following a Reuters report — US News & World Report","type":"news_article","url":"https://www.usnews.com/news/top-news/articles/2026-08-07/us-sanctions-dubai-crypto-exchange-for-aiding-irans-irgc-following-a-reuters-report"}]},{"content":"Aban Tether (also rendered Abantether, Persian: آبان تتر) is an Iran-based retail cryptocurrency exchange established circa 2018–2019. According to multiple secondary sources, the exchange was founded by graduates of Sharif University of Technology in Tehran, one of Iran's most selective technical institutions. The platform specializes in USDT (Tether) stablecoin trading and also supports spot trading of Bitcoin, Ether, BNB, and over 330 other assets, with Iranian Rial (IRR) deposit and withdrawal functionality. Aban Tether reported earning a knowledge-based company certification from Iran's Vice Presidency for Science and Technology in 2022. The exchange operates a mobile application distributed through Iranian app stores, including the Bazaar platform. User base and lifetime trading volume figures were not independently verifiable from Tier 1 or Tier 2 sources at the time of this investigation. During periods of heightened geopolitical tension in 2026, the exchange allegedly suspended both crypto and rial withdrawals temporarily, though the source for this claim is Tier 3.","heading":"Background and Operations","severity":"medium","sources":[{"credibility":3,"name":"Comprehensive Iran Crypto Exchange List — Myindustry Consulting Group","type":"other","url":"https://myindustry.ir/en/comprehensive-iran-crypto-exchange-list/"},{"credibility":3,"name":"Download Abantether App for Android — Bazaar (Iranian app store listing)","type":"other","url":"https://cafebazaar.ir/app/ir.aban.th?l=en"},{"credibility":3,"name":"Abantether company profile — ZoomInfo","type":"other","url":"https://www.zoominfo.com/c/abantether-%D8%A7%D9%93%D8%A8%D8%A7%D9%86-%D8%AA%D8%AA%D8%B1/560861181"}]},{"content":"The designation of Aban Tether under Executive Order 13902 creates secondary sanctions exposure for non-U.S. entities. Foreign financial institutions, virtual asset service providers (VASPs), DeFi protocols, and stablecoin issuers that conduct significant transactions with Aban Tether addresses risk being cut off from the U.S. financial system and potentially being added to the SDN list themselves. Compliance analysts at Scorechain and Crystal Intelligence noted following the June 2026 Nobitex action that the Iranian SDN designations require global VASPs and stablecoin issuers — including Tether and Circle — to immediately update sanctions screening and transaction monitoring to block designated addresses. The August 7 Aban Tether designation extends that obligation to any entity in Aban Tether's on-chain transaction graph. Any exchange, protocol, or individual that knowingly or negligently routes funds through Aban Tether wallet addresses after this date is at material legal risk under U.S. law.","heading":"Secondary Sanctions Risk for Counterparties","severity":"high","sources":[{"credibility":1,"name":"Treasury Sanctions Crypto Exchanges Funding Iran's IRGC and Enabling Illicit Finance — U.S. Department of the Treasury","type":"regulatory","url":"https://home.treasury.gov/news/press-releases/sb0598"},{"credibility":2,"name":"OFAC Sanctions Iran's Four Largest Crypto Exchanges: What Every Compliance Team Needs to Know — Scorechain","type":"research","url":"https://www.scorechain.com/blog/ofac-iran-crypto-sanctions-june-2026"},{"credibility":2,"name":"Crypto sanctions screening: OFAC targets Iran exchanges — Crystal Intelligence","type":"research","url":"https://crystalintelligence.com/sanctions/crypto-sanctions-screening-ofac-targets-iran-exchanges/"}]},{"content":"The Aban Tether designation is the fourth discrete enforcement wave in a five-month U.S. campaign to sever Iran's digital-asset access channels. The sequence began in January 2026 with the designation of Zedcex and Zedxion, two exchange-branded stablecoin infrastructure entities with alleged IRGC connections handling approximately USD 1 billion in transactions. In April 2026, OFAC updated the Central Bank of Iran's SDN entry with new cryptocurrency wallet addresses linked to the IRGC-Qods Force and Hezbollah; Tether coordinated with U.S. law enforcement to freeze USD 344 million in USDT at that time. On June 2, 2026, OFAC executed its largest-ever crypto-specific action against Iranian exchanges, designating Nobitex, Wallex, Bitpin, and Ramzinex, which collectively processed roughly 78% of Iran's 2025 attributed crypto volume of USD 9.9 billion. The August 7, 2026 action targeting Aban Tether and Shelbit represents a continuation of that campaign, targeting infrastructure that allegedly served as a bypass layer after the June designations. The pattern suggests U.S. enforcement is progressively mapping and closing the network of intermediary exchanges that enable sanctioned entities to remain active.","heading":"Broader 2026 U.S. Crackdown on Iran's Crypto Infrastructure","severity":"high","sources":[{"credibility":2,"name":"Three Enforcement Layers in Five Months: OFAC Designates Iran's Domestic Crypto Exchanges — TRM Labs","type":"research","url":"https://www.trmlabs.com/resources/blog/three-enforcement-layers-in-five-months-ofac-designates-irans-domestic-crypto-exchanges"},{"credibility":2,"name":"OFAC Updates Central Bank of Iran Designation Following Tether Seizure — Chainalysis","type":"research","url":"https://www.chainalysis.com/blog/central-bank-of-iran-designation-ofac-update-april-2026/"},{"credibility":2,"name":"U.S. adds four Iran central bank crypto wallets to sanctions, Tether freezes $131 million of USDT — CoinDesk","type":"news_article","url":"https://www.coindesk.com/business/2026/07/16/u-s-adds-four-iran-central-bank-crypto-wallets-to-sanctions-tether-freezes-usd131-million-of-contents"},{"credibility":1,"name":"Economic Fury Targets Iran's Largest Digital Asset Exchange for Terror Finance and Sanctions Evasion — U.S. Department of the Treasury","type":"regulatory","url":"https://home.treasury.gov/news/press-releases/sb0519"},{"credibility":2,"name":"OFAC Updates Iran Sanctions as $344M in Tether Frozen Amid Hormuz Tensions — CryptoTimes","type":"news_article","url":"https://www.cryptotimes.io/2026/04/28/ofac-updates-iran-sanctions-as-344m-in-tether-frozen-amid-hormuz-tensions/"}]},{"content":"Aban Tether (the Iranian exchange) is distinct from Tether Ltd., the British Virgin Islands-based issuer of the USDT stablecoin. The exchange's name reflects its primary product focus on USDT trading rather than any corporate affiliation with Tether Ltd. Following the August 7, 2026 designation, CoinDesk reported that it contacted Tether Ltd. to confirm there is no organizational relationship between the two entities. Tether Ltd. has actively cooperated with OFAC and U.S. law enforcement in the broader Iran sanctions enforcement campaign, including the freezing of USD 344 million in April 2026.","heading":"Name Disambiguation","severity":"low","sources":[{"credibility":2,"name":"U.S. sanctions Iran-linked crypto exchanges Shelbit and Aban Tether — CoinDesk","type":"news_article","url":"https://www.coindesk.com/policy/2026/08/07/u-s-widens-iran-crypto-crackdown-with-sanctions-on-two-exchanges"},{"credibility":2,"name":"One Sanctions List and a Kill Switch: How Tether Enforces US Policy on Iran — CryptoRank","type":"news_article","url":"https://cryptorank.io/news/feed/e3ec2-us-tether-sanctions-weapon-iran"}]}],"sources_used":[{"credibility":1,"name":"Treasury Sanctions Crypto Exchanges Funding Iran's IRGC and Enabling Illicit Finance — U.S. Department of the Treasury (sb0598)","type":"regulatory","url":"https://home.treasury.gov/news/press-releases/sb0598"},{"credibility":1,"name":"Economic Fury Targets Iran's Largest Digital Asset Exchange — U.S. Department of the Treasury (sb0519)","type":"regulatory","url":"https://home.treasury.gov/news/press-releases/sb0519"},{"credibility":2,"name":"U.S. sanctions Iran-linked crypto exchanges Shelbit and Aban Tether — CoinDesk","type":"news_article","url":"https://www.coindesk.com/policy/2026/08/07/u-s-widens-iran-crypto-crackdown-with-sanctions-on-two-exchanges"},{"credibility":2,"name":"US Treasury's OFAC Sanctions 2 Iran-Linked Crypto Exchanges — CoinTelegraph","type":"news_article","url":"https://cointelegraph.com/news/us-treasury-sanctions-iran-crypto-exchanges"},{"credibility":1,"name":"US sanctions Dubai crypto exchange for aiding Iran's IRGC — US News & World Report (Reuters wire)","type":"news_article","url":"https://www.usnews.com/news/top-news/articles/2026-08-07/us-sanctions-dubai-crypto-exchange-for-aiding-irans-irgc-following-a-reuters-report"},{"credibility":2,"name":"Three Enforcement Layers in Five Months: OFAC Designates Iran's Domestic Crypto Exchanges — TRM Labs","type":"research","url":"https://www.trmlabs.com/resources/blog/three-enforcement-layers-in-five-months-ofac-designates-irans-domestic-crypto-exchanges"},{"credibility":2,"name":"OFAC Sanctions Nobitex and Iranian Cryptocurrency Exchanges — Chainalysis","type":"research","url":"https://www.chainalysis.com/blog/ofac-sanctions-iranian-crypto-exchanges-june-2026/"},{"credibility":2,"name":"OFAC Updates Central Bank of Iran Designation Following Tether Seizure — Chainalysis","type":"research","url":"https://www.chainalysis.com/blog/central-bank-of-iran-designation-ofac-update-april-2026/"},{"credibility":2,"name":"OFAC Sanctions Iran's Four Largest Crypto Exchanges: What Every Compliance Team Needs to Know — Scorechain","type":"research","url":"https://www.scorechain.com/blog/ofac-iran-crypto-sanctions-june-2026"},{"credibility":2,"name":"Crypto sanctions screening: OFAC targets Iran exchanges — Crystal Intelligence","type":"research","url":"https://crystalintelligence.com/sanctions/crypto-sanctions-screening-ofac-targets-iran-exchanges/"},{"credibility":2,"name":"OFAC Updates Iran Sanctions as $344M in Tether Frozen Amid Hormuz Tensions — CryptoTimes","type":"news_article","url":"https://www.cryptotimes.io/2026/04/28/ofac-updates-iran-sanctions-as-344m-in-tether-frozen-amid-hormuz-tensions/"},{"credibility":2,"name":"U.S. adds four Iran central bank crypto wallets to sanctions, Tether freezes $131 million of USDT — CoinDesk","type":"news_article","url":"https://www.coindesk.com/business/2026/07/16/u-s-adds-four-iran-central-bank-crypto-wallets-to-sanctions-tether-freezes-usd131-million-of-contents"},{"credibility":2,"name":"One Sanctions List and a Kill Switch: How Tether Enforces US Policy on Iran — CryptoRank","type":"news_article","url":"https://cryptorank.io/news/feed/e3ec2-us-tether-sanctions-weapon-iran"},{"credibility":2,"name":"US sanctions crypto exchanges over IRGC transactions — Shafaq News","type":"news_article","url":"https://shafaq.com/en/World/US-sanctions-crypto-exchanges-over-IRGC-transactions"},{"credibility":3,"name":"Comprehensive Iran Crypto Exchange List — Myindustry Consulting Group","type":"other","url":"https://myindustry.ir/en/comprehensive-iran-crypto-exchange-list/"},{"credibility":3,"name":"Download Abantether App for Android — Bazaar","type":"other","url":"https://cafebazaar.ir/app/ir.aban.th?l=en"}],"summary":"Aban Tether (Persian: آبان تتر) is an Iran-based cryptocurrency exchange specializing in USDT stablecoin trading that was designated by the U.S. Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) on August 7, 2026, for facilitating illicit cryptocurrency activity and sanctions evasion in support of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). The exchange is alleged to have processed millions of dollars in transactions involving previously designated Iranian platforms including Nobitex, Wallex, Bitpin, and Ramzinex, functioning as a conduit node within Iran's sanctioned crypto infrastructure. Its designation under Executive Order 13902 carries secondary sanctions risk for any global exchange, protocol, or institution that transacts with Aban Tether addresses.","timeline":[{"date":"2018-01-01","event":"Aban Tether founded in Iran, approximately circa 2018, by graduates of Sharif University of Technology, according to secondary sources. Exact founding date unverified by Tier 1 sources.","source":"Myindustry Consulting Group (Tier 3)","source_url":"https://myindustry.ir/en/comprehensive-iran-crypto-exchange-list/"},{"date":"2022-01-01","event":"Aban Tether reportedly received a knowledge-based company certification from Iran's Vice Presidency for Science and Technology. Exact date unverified.","source":"Secondary sources (Tier 3)","source_url":"https://myindustry.ir/en/comprehensive-iran-crypto-exchange-list/"},{"date":"2026-01-01","event":"OFAC designates Zedcex and Zedxion, Iranian exchange-branded stablecoin infrastructure entities with alleged IRGC connections, handling approximately USD 1 billion. First wave of 2026 Iran crypto enforcement.","source":"TRM Labs","source_url":"https://www.trmlabs.com/resources/blog/three-enforcement-layers-in-five-months-ofac-designates-irans-domestic-crypto-exchanges"},{"date":"2026-04-28","event":"OFAC updates the Central Bank of Iran SDN designation with new cryptocurrency wallet addresses linked to the IRGC-Qods Force and Hezbollah. Tether freezes USD 344 million in USDT in coordination with U.S. law enforcement.","source":"CryptoTimes / Chainalysis","source_url":"https://www.cryptotimes.io/2026/04/28/ofac-updates-iran-sanctions-as-344m-in-tether-frozen-amid-hormuz-tensions/"},{"date":"2026-06-02","event":"OFAC designates Nobitex, Wallex, Bitpin, and Ramzinex under the Economic Fury campaign. The four exchanges collectively processed approximately 78% of Iran's 2025 attributed crypto volume of USD 9.9 billion. Four Nobitex executives also designated.","source":"U.S. Department of the Treasury press release sb0519","source_url":"https://home.treasury.gov/news/press-releases/sb0519"},{"date":"2026-07-16","event":"OFAC adds four more Iran Central Bank crypto wallets to the SDN list; Tether freezes an additional USD 131 million in USDT.","source":"CoinDesk","source_url":"https://www.coindesk.com/business/2026/07/16/u-s-adds-four-iran-central-bank-crypto-wallets-to-sanctions-tether-freezes-usd131-million-of-contents"},{"date":"2026-08-07","event":"OFAC designates Aban Tether pursuant to Executive Order 13902 for operating in the financial sector of the Iranian economy and for facilitating illicit cryptocurrency activity and sanctions evasion in support of the IRGC. Designated in the same action as Shelbit Exchange. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent issues statement: 'Whether in dollars, rials, or crypto, Treasury will hunt down and dismantle the illicit financial networks that keep the regime afloat.'","source":"U.S. Department of the Treasury press release sb0598","source_url":"https://home.treasury.gov/news/press-releases/sb0598"}]},"v":1}

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   python -m src.verify_decision 3b1ecbb6-64ef-4080-9b73-2af9dbc8b721copy