Woofun AI reports that the European Council approved its 21st round of sanctions against Russia on July 23. The measures extend transaction bans to 14 crypto service platforms registered in Georgia, Panama, the UAE, the Marshall Islands, Kyrgyzstan, and Belarus, while adding four entities linked to the A7 cross-border payment network.

For the first time, the EU introduced a country-wide ban on crypto services targeting third countries to prevent local operators from facilitating transactions with providers used by Russia to circumvent sanctions. The financial sector sanctions impose asset freezes on 94 Russian banks and major institutions, extending transaction bans to 33 additional credit and financial entities. This round totals 218 sanctioned targets, comprising 48 individuals and 170 entities, representing the largest expansion by the EU in four years.