U.S. imposes sanctions on virtual currency mixer Tornado Cash

Representations of virtual currency bitcoin are seen through broken glass in this illustration taken, June 25, 2021. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration

WASHINGTON (Reuters) -The United States on Monday imposed sanctions on virtual currency mixer Tornado Cash, accusing it of helping hackers, including from North Korea, to launder proceeds from their cyber crimes.

A senior Treasury Department official said Tornado Cash, one of the largest mixers identified as problematic by the Treasury, has reportedly laundered more than $7 billion worth of virtual currency since it was created in 2019.