US sanctions Russian company Operation Zero over crypto-funded espionage case

ChainCatcher News, according to The Block, the U.S. Treasury Department's OFAC has announced sanctions against the Russian cyber tools company Operation Zero and its head Sergey Zelenyuk, along with six others, accusing them of endangering U.S. national security by selling cyber vulnerability exploitation tools.

This case originated from a Department of Justice investigation: Australian Peter Williams admitted to stealing software secrets from U.S. defense contractors between 2022 and 2025, and selling them for millions of dollars in crypto assets to Operation Zero. This marks the first time the U.S. has imposed related sanctions under the Protecting American Intellectual Property Act.