The UK has taken action this time, and crypto exchanges have also been moved into the sanctions list—compliance pressure is once again on another level.

The UK government, for the first time in 2026, imposed sanctions on multiple cryptocurrency exchanges under the Russian sanctions regime, involving Bitpapa IC FZC LLC, Exmo Exchange Limited, Aifory LLC, and Rapira Group LLC, accusing them of providing financial resources to A7 and others. This move marks the UK's first expansion of sanctions to include cryptocurrency exchanges, reflecting a Western trend of strengthening efforts through financial sanctions to target digital asset platforms that assist Russia in evading restrictions.