Sanctioned Countries and Crypto: What You Can and Can't Do

When you hear sanctioned countries, nations restricted by global financial powers from accessing standard banking and crypto systems. Also known as restricted jurisdictions, these places force crypto users to operate in gray zones—sometimes legally, often dangerously. It’s not just about politics. It’s about control. Countries like China, a nation that outright banned all crypto activity in 2025 and now seizes assets through Alipay and WeChat Pay and Singapore, a financial hub that lets only elite firms operate under MAS’s ironclad rules don’t just discourage crypto—they build walls around it.

Why does this matter to you? If you’re trading crypto from a sanctioned country, you’re not just avoiding taxes—you’re navigating a minefield. In China, even holding Bitcoin can trigger government surveillance. In Singapore, you need a local compliance team just to get a license. And it’s not just these two. Countries with heavy crypto restrictions often tie their rules to broader financial control—like Kazakhstan limiting mining to save power, or India taxing NRI crypto gains at 30% with no deductions. These aren’t random policies. They’re part of a global pattern: governments want to own the money flow, and crypto threatens that.

What you’ll find in the posts below isn’t theory. It’s real cases. How underground traders moved $86 billion in China despite the ban. How MAS shuts down firms that don’t follow the Travel Rule. How Alipay and WeChat Pay act as financial police. How Singapore’s DTSP license is nearly impossible to get. You won’t find fluff here. Just facts on who’s banned, who’s watched, and who’s still trading—no matter the risk.