Audit log

Every state-changing event for Siavash Kayvanpour — OFAC-Designated Shelbit Founder: 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

   2026-08-09 12:19:47Z
   Score: ? → ? (no score change)
   anchorpending

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   {"actor":"system:backfill","investigation_id":"cd64718e-7aef-46c7-baa8-20107e9a16df","kind":"publish","page_slug":"siavash-kayvanpour-ofac-designated-shelbit-founder","published_at":"2026-08-09T12:19:47.758Z","sequence_num":1,"snapshot":{"content_type":"investigation","entity_name":"Siavash Kayvanpour — OFAC-Designated Shelbit Founder","sections":[{"content":"On August 7, 2026, the U.S. Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) personally designated Siavash Kayvanpour under Executive Order 13224, which targets individuals and entities providing material support to designated terrorist organizations. OFAC found that Kayvanpour operated a multi-nation network of companies supporting illicit digital currency activity on behalf of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), a U.S.-designated Foreign Terrorist Organization. The action was co-developed with IRS Criminal Investigation. Simultaneously, four corporate entities controlled by Kayvanpour were designated: SHPS Shelbit (Republic of Georgia), Shelbit General Trading LLC (UAE), Shelbit Technologies Ltd (Poland), and two Dubai free-zone entities, Crypto Home DMCC and NFT Home DMCC. A separate entity, Aban Tether, was designated concurrently under Executive Order 13902. The OFAC press release stated that digital currency addresses linked to the IRGC sent over $1 million to Shelbit Exchange addresses, while Shelbit Exchange addresses sent over $2 million back to those same IRGC-linked wallets. Kayvanpour's own wallet addresses also sent over $2 million to Nobitex, Iran's largest cryptocurrency exchange, which had itself been designated by OFAC in June 2026.","heading":"OFAC Personal Designation (August 7, 2026)","severity":"critical","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":"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":"Treasury Sanctions Shelbit and Aban Tether for Funneling Millions to IRGC — TFTC","type":"news_article","url":"https://www.tftc.io/shelbit-aban-tether-ofac-sanctions-irgc-treasury"}]},{"content":"Kayvanpour constructed Shelbit across multiple jurisdictions, presenting significant enforcement complexity. The primary operational entity, SHPS Shelbit, was registered in the Republic of Georgia. The commercial trading arm, Shelbit General Trading LLC, was registered in the UAE and operated publicly as 'Shelbit Exchange.' A technology subsidiary, Shelbit Technologies Ltd, was incorporated in Poland and placed in liquidation proceedings at some point prior to the OFAC designation. Two additional UAE free-zone entities — Crypto Home DMCC and NFT Home DMCC — were also under Kayvanpour's sole management. TRM Labs reported that Shelbit shared a registered Dubai address with Velorix Watches Trading LLC in Deira's commercial district, suggesting a minimal physical footprint. Kayvanpour resided in the UAE at the time of designation and held citizenship in Iran, Dominica, and Afghanistan, making extradition to U.S. jurisdiction significantly more difficult as none of those countries have straightforward extradition treaties with the United States.","heading":"Corporate Structure and Multi-Jurisdictional Footprint","severity":"critical","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":"How Shelbit Became a USD 6.3 Billion Settlement Layer for Iran's Illicit Economy — TRM Labs","type":"research","url":"https://www.trmlabs.com/resources/blog/how-shelbit-became-a-usd-6-3-billion-settlement-layer-for-irans-illicit-economy"},{"credibility":2,"name":"US Sanctions Shelbit, Aban Tether Over Iran's $4B IRGC Crypto Scheme — CryptoTimes","type":"news_article","url":"https://www.cryptotimes.io/2026/08/08/us-treasury-sanctions-shelbit-aban-tether-over-irans-4b-irgc-crypto-scheme/"}]},{"content":"TRM Labs traced over USD 6.3 billion in blockchain flows through the Shelbit network between May 2024 and March 2026. The exchange operated predominantly on the TRON blockchain, which accounted for approximately 88% of volume (approximately USD 5.56 billion), with the remainder distributed across Ethereum (6%), Bitcoin (4%), and BNB Smart Chain (2%). Peak monthly volume reached USD 735 million in November 2025. The average transfer size on TRON was USD 54,500. TRM Labs assessed that inbound and outbound values matched to within 0.1% and residual balances were effectively zero, indicating that Shelbit operated as a payment relay rather than a conventional exchange holding customer assets. Wallets rotated on a one-to-four month cadence, cycling through USD 100–350 million in volume before going dormant. Reuters, citing its own investigation, reported at least USD 676 million in flows from Shelbit-linked addresses to Binance, the world's largest cryptocurrency exchange, since May 2024 — with approximately USD 540 million of that arriving after VARA had already issued a cease-and-desist order in January 2025. Binance disputed those figures. TRM Labs separately identified USD 5.6 million across 36 transfers to wallets associated with the IRGC; USD 2 million sent on September 17, 2025 to a wallet subsequently designated by Israel's National Bureau for Counter Terror Financing as Hamas infrastructure; and USD 318 million involving A7, a sanctioned Russian payment network.","heading":"On-Chain Financial Flows and Scale","severity":"critical","sources":[{"credibility":2,"name":"How Shelbit Became a USD 6.3 Billion Settlement Layer for Iran's Illicit Economy — TRM Labs","type":"research","url":"https://www.trmlabs.com/resources/blog/how-shelbit-became-a-usd-6-3-billion-settlement-layer-for-irans-illicit-economy"},{"credibility":2,"name":"Iran-linked exchange sent $676 million to Binance wallets in alleged sanctions-evasion operation — The Block","type":"news_article","url":"https://www.theblock.co/news/regulation/2026-08-01-iran-linked-exchange-sent-676-million-to-binance-in-alleged-sanctions-evasion-operation-reuters-410355"},{"credibility":2,"name":"$676 Million Reached Binance From an Iran-Linked Exchange Dubai Had Already Fined — BeInCrypto","type":"news_article","url":"https://beincrypto.com/shelbit-binance-676-million-iran/"}]},{"content":"Shelbit's primary customer base was a Farsi-language illegal online gambling network comprising over 2,000 websites — described by TRM Labs as 'one of the largest illegal gambling operations yet identified anywhere.' TRM Labs traced USD 72.6 million across 55 gambling platforms to Shelbit. The gambling network was publicly promoted by two Iranian influencers: Sasha Sobhani, based in Madrid, and Pooyan Mokhtari, a singer and social media figure with millions of followers. Both men promoted lavish lifestyles while directing users toward betting platforms. Kayvanpour, Sobhani, and Mokhtari were all convicted in absentia by Iranian courts in 2023 for illegal gambling activity. Kayvanpour received a three-month sentence for assisting the gambling operation; Sobhani and Mokhtari received two-year sentences. Both Sobhani and Mokhtari publicly denied involvement in money laundering, sanctions evasion, and terrorism financing. Mokhtari additionally denied any links to the IRGC and stated he was unfamiliar with Shelbit. Iranian authorities and Kayvanpour did not respond to requests for comment from Reuters.","heading":"Iranian Gambling Network and Influencer Connections","severity":"high","sources":[{"credibility":2,"name":"How Shelbit Became a USD 6.3 Billion Settlement Layer for Iran's Illicit Economy — TRM Labs","type":"research","url":"https://www.trmlabs.com/resources/blog/how-shelbit-became-a-usd-6-3-billion-settlement-layer-for-irans-illicit-economy"},{"credibility":2,"name":"Iran-linked crypto network moved $4B through Dubai exchange — CoinDesk/Reuters","type":"news_article","url":"https://www.coindesk.com/business/2026/07/31/dubai-based-crypto-exchange-tied-to-usd4-billion-iran-sanctioned-evasion-network-reuters"},{"credibility":2,"name":"Illicit Iranian gambling network helped pull off a $4 billion sanctions dodge — Times of Israel","type":"news_article","url":"https://www.timesofisrael.com/illicit-iranian-gambling-network-helped-pull-off-a-4-billion-sanctions-dodge/"},{"credibility":2,"name":"Complex Iranian Gambling Network Allegedly Used to Skip Sanctions — GamblingNews","type":"news_article","url":"https://www.gamblingnews.com/news/complex-iranian-gambling-network-allegedly-used-to-skip-sanctions/"}]},{"content":"Beyond the IRGC-linked wallet flows, blockchain investigators identified Shelbit as a conduit for multiple sanctioned Iranian entities. According to TRM Labs, Shelbit processed approximately USD 125 million originating from Iran's central bank, which has itself been sanctioned under U.S. counterterrorism authorities since 2019. Shelbit also processed USD 2.6 million involving Aban Tether (simultaneously designated on August 7, 2026) and USD 1.9 million across 101 transfers to and from Nobitex (designated by OFAC in June 2026). Smaller flows connected to other previously sanctioned Iranian exchanges including Ramzinex, Wallex, Bit Pin, and Zedcex were also identified. OFAC confirmed that Kayvanpour's personal wallet addresses sent over $2 million to Nobitex. Reuters stated it 'could not determine whether the IRGC directly controlled Shelbit,' despite analyst assessments of IRGC financial involvement. The OFAC action did not include a direct finding of IRGC ownership of Shelbit, but did designate Kayvanpour and Shelbit for providing material assistance to the IRGC.","heading":"Iranian State Entity and Sanctioned Exchange Exposure","severity":"critical","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":"How Shelbit Became a USD 6.3 Billion Settlement Layer for Iran's Illicit Economy — TRM Labs","type":"research","url":"https://www.trmlabs.com/resources/blog/how-shelbit-became-a-usd-6-3-billion-settlement-layer-for-irans-illicit-economy"},{"credibility":2,"name":"Iran-linked crypto network moved $4B through Dubai exchange — CoinDesk/Reuters","type":"news_article","url":"https://www.coindesk.com/business/2026/07/31/dubai-based-crypto-exchange-tied-to-usd4-billion-iran-sanctioned-evasion-network-reuters"}]},{"content":"Dubai's Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority (VARA) issued a cease-and-desist order against Shelbit General Trading LLC in January 2025, finding that the company was providing virtual-asset services in Dubai without a license, onboarding users without mandatory KYC checks, and marketing its services without authorization. VARA published a public notice of fines in connection with this action. Despite the January 2025 enforcement order, approximately USD 540 million in flows continued through Shelbit-linked addresses to Binance alone after that date, indicating continued operation. VARA issued a second enforcement action against Shelbit in July 2026, ordering a full halt to unlicensed activity. One week later, on August 7, 2026, OFAC issued the personal designation of Kayvanpour and the designation of his corporate network. The OFAC action falls under the U.S. 'Economic Fury' campaign targeting Iran's crypto finance infrastructure, which also encompassed prior designations of Zedcex and Zedxion (January 2026) and Nobitex (June 2026). The U.S. State Department has a standing offer of a USD 15 million reward for information leading to disruption of IRGC financial mechanisms.","heading":"Prior Regulatory Actions and Enforcement History","severity":"high","sources":[{"credibility":1,"name":"VARA Notice of Fines — Shelbit General Trading L.L.C — VARA","type":"regulatory","url":"https://www.vara.ae/en/regulations/regulatory-notices/vara-notice-of-fines-shelbit-general-trading-llc/"},{"credibility":2,"name":"Dubai's VARA Issues Enforcement Action and Fines Against Shelbit General Trading — Global Compliance Institute","type":"news_article","url":"https://www.gci-ccm.org/news/dubais-vara-issues-enforcement-action-and-fines-against-shelbit-general-trading-llc"},{"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":"US Sanctions Dubai Crypto Exchange for Aiding Iran's IRGC, Following a Reuters Report — US News","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":"Shelbit publicly stated that it 'categorically rejected any suggestion that the company knowingly participated in money laundering, terrorist financing, illegal gambling activity, sanctions evasion, or activity on behalf of any sanctioned organization.' The company also stated that it had ceased operations in January 2026, prior to the OFAC designation. The timing of the stated cessation of operations — January 2026 — coincides with VARA's January 2025 enforcement action (which was approximately one year before the stated shutdown) and predates the July 2026 VARA cease-and-desist and the August 2026 OFAC designation. TRM Labs reported, however, that as of August 2026 the associated gambling network continued to operate without interruption despite Shelbit's website becoming non-functional. Kayvanpour did not respond to requests for comment from Reuters prior to the designation.","heading":"Shelbit's Denials and Cessation of Operations","severity":"medium","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":"US Sanctions Iranian Crypto: Shelbit Exchange Targeted — Cryptonomist","type":"news_article","url":"https://en.cryptonomist.ch/2026/08/07/us-sanctions-iranian-crypto-shelbit/"},{"credibility":2,"name":"How Shelbit Became a USD 6.3 Billion Settlement Layer for Iran's Illicit Economy — TRM Labs","type":"research","url":"https://www.trmlabs.com/resources/blog/how-shelbit-became-a-usd-6-3-billion-settlement-layer-for-irans-illicit-economy"}]},{"content":"Kayvanpour's possession of citizenship in three countries — Iran, Dominica, and Afghanistan — in addition to UAE residency presents substantial obstacles to enforcement. None of the jurisdictions where Kayvanpour holds citizenship or residency — Iran, Dominica, Afghanistan, or the UAE — have active extradition treaties with the United States that would facilitate his transfer to U.S. jurisdiction for criminal prosecution. The OFAC designation freezes any U.S.-jurisdiction assets and prohibits U.S. persons from transacting with Kayvanpour or his designated entities, and secondary sanctions apply globally: any foreign financial institution transacting with designated entities risks losing access to the U.S. financial system. However, Kayvanpour's physical apprehension remains contingent on international law enforcement cooperation. Citizenship in Dominica is commonly available through investment programs, and the designation does not include public findings about how that citizenship was acquired. No criminal indictment by U.S. prosecutors had been publicly filed as of the date of the OFAC action.","heading":"Enforcement Complications and Multi-Citizenship Status","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":"Treasury Sanctions Shelbit and Aban Tether for Funneling Millions to IRGC — TFTC","type":"news_article","url":"https://www.tftc.io/shelbit-aban-tether-ofac-sanctions-irgc-treasury"},{"credibility":2,"name":"US Sanctions Firms Allegedly Laundering Billions for Iran's Revolutionary Guard — Sahara Reporters","type":"news_article","url":"https://saharareporters.com/2026/08/08/us-sanctions-firms-allegedly-laundering-billions-dollars-irans-revolutionary-guard"}]}],"sources_used":[{"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":"How Shelbit Became a USD 6.3 Billion Settlement Layer for Iran's Illicit Economy — TRM Labs","type":"research","url":"https://www.trmlabs.com/resources/blog/how-shelbit-became-a-usd-6-3-billion-settlement-layer-for-irans-illicit-economy"},{"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":"Iran-linked crypto network moved $4B through Dubai exchange — CoinDesk/Reuters","type":"news_article","url":"https://www.coindesk.com/business/2026/07/31/dubai-based-crypto-exchange-tied-to-usd4-billion-iran-sanctioned-evasion-network-reuters"},{"credibility":2,"name":"Iran-linked exchange sent $676 million to Binance wallets in alleged sanctions-evasion operation — The Block","type":"news_article","url":"https://www.theblock.co/news/regulation/2026-08-01-iran-linked-exchange-sent-676-million-to-binance-in-alleged-sanctions-evasion-operation-reuters-410355"},{"credibility":2,"name":"US Sanctions Dubai Crypto Exchange for Aiding Iran's IRGC, Following a Reuters Report — US News","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":1,"name":"VARA Notice of Fines — Shelbit General Trading L.L.C — VARA","type":"regulatory","url":"https://www.vara.ae/en/regulations/regulatory-notices/vara-notice-of-fines-shelbit-general-trading-llc/"},{"credibility":2,"name":"Treasury Sanctions Shelbit and Aban Tether for Funneling Millions to IRGC — TFTC","type":"news_article","url":"https://www.tftc.io/shelbit-aban-tether-ofac-sanctions-irgc-treasury"},{"credibility":2,"name":"US Treasury Sanctions Shelbit, Aban Tether Over Iran's $4B IRGC Crypto Scheme — CryptoTimes","type":"news_article","url":"https://www.cryptotimes.io/2026/08/08/us-treasury-sanctions-shelbit-aban-tether-over-irans-4b-irgc-crypto-scheme/"},{"credibility":2,"name":"$676 Million Reached Binance From an Iran-Linked Exchange Dubai Had Already Fined — BeInCrypto","type":"news_article","url":"https://beincrypto.com/shelbit-binance-676-million-iran/"},{"credibility":2,"name":"Illicit Iranian gambling network helped pull off a $4 billion sanctions dodge — Times of Israel","type":"news_article","url":"https://www.timesofisrael.com/illicit-iranian-gambling-network-helped-pull-off-a-4-billion-sanctions-dodge/"},{"credibility":1,"name":"Treasury Sanctions Crypto Exchanges Funding Iran's IRGC — GlobalSecurity.org","type":"regulatory","url":"https://www.globalsecurity.org/wmd/library/news/iran/2026/08/iran-260807-treasury01.htm"},{"credibility":2,"name":"Dubai's VARA Issues Enforcement Action and Fines Against Shelbit General Trading — Global Compliance Institute","type":"news_article","url":"https://www.gci-ccm.org/news/dubais-vara-issues-enforcement-action-and-fines-against-shelbit-general-trading-llc"},{"credibility":2,"name":"US Sanctions Firms Allegedly Laundering Billions for Iran's Revolutionary Guard — Sahara Reporters","type":"news_article","url":"https://saharareporters.com/2026/08/08/us-sanctions-firms-allegedly-laundering-billions-dollars-irans-revolutionary-guard"},{"credibility":2,"name":"US Targets Two More Crypto Exchanges Over Alleged Iran Ties — Cointribune","type":"news_article","url":"https://www.cointribune.com/en/us-targets-two-more-crypto-exchanges-over-alleged-iran-ties"}],"summary":"Siavash Kayvanpour is an Iranian expatriate and founder of Shelbit, an unlicensed cryptocurrency exchange that U.S. Treasury's OFAC personally designated on August 7, 2026 under Executive Order 13224 for materially supporting Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). Blockchain investigators traced over USD 6.3 billion in flows through the Shelbit network between May 2024 and March 2026, linking the exchange to IRGC-affiliated wallets, Iran's central bank, and one of the world's largest illegal online gambling operations. Kayvanpour holds citizenships in Iran, Dominica, and Afghanistan, complicating international enforcement of the designation.","timeline":[{"date":"2023-01-01","event":"Siavash Kayvanpour, Sasha Sobhani, and Pooyan Mokhtari convicted in absentia by Iranian courts for illegal gambling activity. Kayvanpour received a three-month sentence for assisting the operation; Sobhani and Mokhtari received two-year sentences.","source":"TRM Labs / Reuters","source_url":"https://www.trmlabs.com/resources/blog/how-shelbit-became-a-usd-6-3-billion-settlement-layer-for-irans-illicit-economy"},{"date":"2024-05-01","event":"Shelbit Exchange begins operations. TRM Labs traces blockchain flows from this date forward.","source":"TRM Labs","source_url":"https://www.trmlabs.com/resources/blog/how-shelbit-became-a-usd-6-3-billion-settlement-layer-for-irans-illicit-economy"},{"date":"2025-01-02","event":"Dubai's Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority (VARA) issues cease-and-desist order against Shelbit General Trading LLC for operating without a license, failing KYC requirements, and marketing services in Dubai without authorization. VARA publishes a notice of fines.","source":"VARA","source_url":"https://www.vara.ae/en/regulations/regulatory-notices/vara-notice-of-fines-shelbit-general-trading-llc/"},{"date":"2025-09-17","event":"Shelbit addresses send approximately USD 2 million to a wallet subsequently designated by Israel's National Bureau for Counter Terror Financing as Hamas infrastructure.","source":"TRM Labs","source_url":"https://www.trmlabs.com/resources/blog/how-shelbit-became-a-usd-6-3-billion-settlement-layer-for-irans-illicit-economy"},{"date":"2025-10-01","event":"Researchers inform Binance about Shelbit's alleged ties to Iran. Binance disputes the allegations.","source":"BeInCrypto / Reuters","source_url":"https://beincrypto.com/shelbit-binance-676-million-iran/"},{"date":"2025-11-01","event":"Shelbit reaches peak monthly volume of USD 735 million.","source":"TRM Labs","source_url":"https://www.trmlabs.com/resources/blog/how-shelbit-became-a-usd-6-3-billion-settlement-layer-for-irans-illicit-economy"},{"date":"2026-01-01","event":"Shelbit states it ceased operations. OFAC separately designates Zedcex and Zedxion under the 'Economic Fury' Iran sanctions campaign.","source":"CoinDesk / CryptoTimes","source_url":"https://www.coindesk.com/policy/2026/08/07/u-s-widens-iran-crypto-crackdown-with-sanctions-on-two-exchanges"},{"date":"2026-06-01","event":"OFAC designates Nobitex, Iran's largest cryptocurrency exchange, under the Economic Fury campaign. Kayvanpour's wallets had previously sent over USD 2 million to Nobitex.","source":"CoinDesk","source_url":"https://www.coindesk.com/policy/2026/08/07/u-s-widens-iran-crypto-crackdown-with-sanctions-on-two-exchanges"},{"date":"2026-07-24","event":"Dubai's VARA issues a second enforcement action against Shelbit, ordering a complete halt to unlicensed virtual-asset operations.","source":"TRM Labs / VARA","source_url":"https://www.trmlabs.com/resources/blog/how-shelbit-became-a-usd-6-3-billion-settlement-layer-for-irans-illicit-economy"},{"date":"2026-07-31","event":"Reuters publishes an investigative report identifying Shelbit as the hub of a USD 4 billion Iranian sanctions-evasion scheme and naming Siavash Kayvanpour as its founder. The report traces connections to the IRGC, Iran's central bank, and an illegal gambling network of over 2,000 websites.","source":"Reuters via CoinDesk","source_url":"https://www.coindesk.com/business/2026/07/31/dubai-based-crypto-exchange-tied-to-usd4-billion-iran-sanctioned-evasion-network-reuters"},{"date":"2026-08-07","event":"OFAC personally designates Siavash Kayvanpour under Executive Order 13224, alongside five corporate entities (SHPS Shelbit, Shelbit General Trading LLC, Shelbit Technologies Ltd, Crypto Home DMCC, NFT Home DMCC). Aban Tether is simultaneously designated under Executive Order 13902. The action is coordinated with IRS Criminal Investigation.","source":"U.S. Department of the Treasury","source_url":"https://home.treasury.gov/news/press-releases/sb0598"},{"date":"2026-08-08","event":"Major crypto news outlets and blockchain analytics firms including Chainalysis and TRM Labs publish analyses of the Shelbit designation. Shelbit's website is reported non-functional; the associated gambling network continues to operate.","source":"TRM Labs / CoinDesk / CryptoTimes","source_url":"https://www.trmlabs.com/resources/blog/how-shelbit-became-a-usd-6-3-billion-settlement-layer-for-irans-illicit-economy"}]},"v":1}

   Verify offline (run on your own machine)

   python -m src.verify_decision 58b43b07-7b82-44be-9823-58c53b0fd2cbcopy