Russian crypto exchange Garantex seized by law enforcement operation

The U.S. Secret Service, working with a coalition of international law enforcement agencies, has taken down and seized the website of Garantex, a Russian cryptocurrency exchange accused of being associated with darknet markets and ransomware hackers. On Thursday, the official Garantex website was replaced with a notice saying the exchange’s domain has been seized by the Secret Service following a warrant by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Last month, the European Union also sanctioned Garantex as, saying it is “closely associated with EU-sanctioned Russian banks.”