THE United Kingdom has imposed economic sanctions on Cryptomus, the cryptocurrency platform also known as Certa Payments and Xeltox Enterprises, for processing payments that benefit the Russian government and its financial institutions. The sanctions, announced on 8 October 2026 and formalised on 14 October, freeze Cryptomus assets held in UK banks and bar British companies from providing it with any form of business. The package also targets related platforms VexPay, TokenSpot and the Tsunami Payments service.
The sanctions appear to be aimed at disrupting Cryptomus’s role as a major payment hub for illicit activity linked to ransomware, narcotics and other cybercrime operations that supported Russia’s wartime economy, according to Chainalysis.
TRM Labs had earlier documented Cryptomus processing more than $7 billion in transactions since its 2022 inception, including activity tied to child sexual abuse material vendors, terrorist financing networks and human trafficking. After introducing Know Your Customer rules, Cryptomus’ volume declined, and it launched Heleket as a parallel no-KYC service in response to Canadian penalties that totalled CAD $176 million for anti-money‑laundering violations.
Chainalysis described Cryptomus and Heleket as major illicit-payment hubs, with illicit counterparties exceeding 900 in late 2025. The reporting notes that Canada’s sanctions were reportedly unenforceable, underscoring the potential impact of UK action. The piece also highlights a broader question of the platform’s authority, pointing to a purported regulatory body tied to Western Sahara as part of Cryptomus’s corporate history, though these details are presented as in-source findings rather than confirmed facts.