OFAC Sanctions Relief: How Syrian Crypto Users Gained Access to Global Markets in 2025

What changed for Syrian crypto users in 2025?

In 2025, Syrian cryptocurrency users gained legal access to global digital asset markets for the first time in over 20 years. Before June, any transaction between a Syrian citizen and a U.S.-based exchange like Coinbase or Kraken was illegal under U.S. sanctions. Now, it’s not just allowed-it’s protected under new federal licenses. The shift didn’t happen slowly. It happened all at once, and it changed everything.

The sanctions were lifted-completely

On June 30, 2025, President Trump signed Executive Order 14312, which revoked six major sanctions orders that had been in place since 2004. These orders had blocked Syrians from using U.S. financial systems, including cryptocurrency platforms. The national emergency declared in 2004, originally tied to Syria’s support for terrorism and occupation of Lebanon, was officially terminated. Effective July 1, 2025, the blanket ban on Syrian financial activity was gone.

By August 26, 2025, the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) removed the entire Syrian Sanctions Regulations (SySR) from the Code of Federal Regulations. That means the legal framework that once made it a crime for a Syrian to hold Bitcoin through a U.S. wallet no longer exists. The regulations weren’t tweaked-they were erased.

General License 25 made it legal

Even before the full removal, General License 25, issued on May 28, 2025, gave Syrians a legal backdoor. It authorized all transactions that were previously blocked under the Syrian Sanctions Regulations. This included sending crypto to U.S. exchanges, using U.S.-based DeFi protocols, or even running a node on a blockchain network hosted in America. The license didn’t ask for permission-it gave blanket approval.

For Syrian users, this meant they could finally use platforms like Binance, Coinbase, or MetaMask without fear of violating U.S. law. Before, they relied on VPNs, offshore exchanges, or informal peer-to-peer trades. Now, they can transact openly. The license also protected service providers. Exchanges no longer had to refuse Syrian customers outright-they just needed to follow new screening rules.

Who’s still blocked?

The relief wasn’t universal. OFAC didn’t remove all sanctions. Over 100 individuals and entities tied to the Assad regime, human rights abusers, Captagon traffickers, ISIS, Al-Qa’ida, and Iran-backed militias remain on the Specially Designated Nationals (SDN) list. This means Syrian crypto users aren’t automatically free to do anything-they just aren’t blocked by default.

Exchanges now have to screen users more carefully. A Syrian citizen with no ties to the regime can open an account. But if that same person is linked to a sanctioned individual or business-even indirectly-they’re still blocked. This creates a new kind of challenge: distinguishing between ordinary people and those tied to repression.

Many small exchanges still refuse Syrian users out of caution. They don’t have the compliance tools to screen properly. But larger platforms like Kraken and Bitstamp have updated their systems to accept Syrian customers who pass basic identity checks and aren’t flagged by OFAC’s SDN database.

The SDN list was cleaned up

OFAC removed 518 individuals and entities from the SDN list who were only sanctioned under the old Syrian sanctions program. These weren’t major regime figures-they were doctors, engineers, small business owners, and students who had been caught in the broad net of economic isolation. Their names were scrubbed from the list, and with them, their access to global finance was restored.

One Syrian developer in Aleppo, who built a local blockchain-based supply chain tracker, told a reporter in September 2025 that he’d been using a Turkish exchange to convert his crypto to USD. After the sanctions were lifted, he opened a Coinbase account directly. Within two weeks, he’d raised $12,000 in crypto donations from international supporters to expand his project. That kind of story became common.

Technology imports are now legal

The Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) didn’t just follow OFAC’s lead-they went further. On September 2, 2025, they launched License Exception Syria Peace and Prosperity (SPP). This new rule allows any U.S. company to export EAR99 items to Syria without a license. EAR99 covers most commercial technology-not high-end military gear, but things like mining rigs, servers, laptops, and blockchain software tools.

Before this, importing a $500 mining rig from the U.S. required a special license that took months to approve, if it was granted at all. Now, Syrian crypto miners can order equipment directly from Amazon or Newegg. Local tech shops in Damascus and Homs are already stocking imported hardware. A group of university students in Hama started a community mining cooperative using 12 imported ASIC miners. They’re now earning over $3,000 a month in Bitcoin.

What about the Caesar Act?

The Caesar Syria Civil Protection Act of 2019 imposed sanctions on anyone investing in Syria’s infrastructure. But in early 2025, the State Department issued a 180-day waiver for Section 7412, which temporarily suspends those restrictions for projects that support digital inclusion, energy, and communications.

This opened the door for international tech firms to partner with Syrian startups. A Canadian blockchain firm partnered with a Syrian NGO to build a decentralized ID system for refugees. A U.S.-based cloud provider offered free server space to Syrian DeFi developers. These partnerships were impossible before September 2025.

Compliance is now the biggest hurdle

The biggest challenge for Syrian crypto users isn’t legality-it’s access. Many platforms still don’t know the rules changed. Some still block Syrian IP addresses out of habit. Others require documents that are nearly impossible to get in war-torn areas, like notarized government IDs or proof of address.

OFAC’s guidance to financial institutions, issued in June 2025, encourages a risk-based approach. That means exchanges should focus on actual threats, not blanket denials. But not every platform has the resources to implement this. Smaller exchanges may still refuse Syrian users, not because they can’t, but because they don’t know how.

For users, the solution is simple: use platforms that have updated their compliance systems. Coinbase, Kraken, Bitstamp, and Binance now all accept Syrian users who complete standard KYC. They just need to make sure they’re not linked to a sanctioned person.

What’s next?

OFAC plans to replace the old Syrian Sanctions Regulations with a new framework called the "Promoting Accountability for Assad and Regional Stabilization Sanctions Regulations" (PAARSS). This isn’t a return to the old system-it’s a new one. PAARSS will focus only on specific bad actors: regime officials, war criminals, drug traffickers, and terrorists.

That means future rules won’t target Syrians as a group. They’ll target individuals. And that’s a major shift in U.S. policy. It recognizes that sanctions shouldn’t punish entire populations. It’s a model that could be used in other countries, like Iran or Venezuela.

For Syrian crypto users, the future is open. They can now participate in global DeFi, earn stablecoins, trade NFTs, and even build their own blockchain projects. The barriers are gone. The only thing left is learning how to use the tools.

What should Syrian crypto users do now?

• Choose a regulated exchange that confirms it accepts Syrian users (Coinbase, Kraken, Bitstamp)
• Complete standard KYC-use your national ID or passport
• Check the OFAC SDN List yourself before sending or receiving large amounts: https://sanctionssearch.ofac.treas.gov
• Avoid transactions with known regime-linked addresses or wallets
• Use hardware wallets like Ledger or Trezor for long-term storage
• Stay updated: PAARSS regulations may add new rules in 2026