How to check a crypto address for OFAC sanctions — free, in 10 seconds

2026-08-05 · AMLConsensus Blog

Of all AML signals, OFAC sanctions are the harshest: if an address is on the list, accepting coins from it means an almost guaranteed freeze on any exchange in the world. The good news — you can check this for free, in seconds.

What the OFAC SDN list is

OFAC (the US Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control) publishes the SDN list — Specially Designated Nationals — which includes crypto addresses: hackers' wallets, mixers (Tornado Cash), sanctioned exchanges, terrorist organisations. The list is public and officially updated, and virtually every major exchange and stablecoin abides by it.

How to check an address for sanctions

• Bot / breakdown. Paste the address into @amlconsensus_bot or the site breakdown — OFAC sanctions are checked first, together with the independent Chainalysis sanctions oracle (OFAC/EU/UN).
• All networks. The check works for BTC, Ethereum, USDT-TRON, Solana, Litecoin and more — sanctioned addresses are caught on any of them, not just EVM.
• Live list. Current sanctioned crypto addresses are collected on the amlconsensus.com/sanctions page — updated daily.

Why checking sanctions alone isn't enough

A direct OFAC hit is rare; more often the danger is links to sanctioned addresses through a chain of transfers. So beyond the address itself, look at its counterparties: a full audit traces funds several hops deep and shows whether money reaches you from a sanctioned source indirectly.

Check any address for sanctions right now — it's free and takes less time than reading this paragraph.