WASHINGTON— Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) and Sen. Angus King (D-ME) continue to raise concerns around cryptocurrency, this time focusing on cryptocurrency mining operations in Iran she claims are financing Hamas and other terrorist groups around the world.
In an open letter to the Biden Administration, Warren and King asked the secretaries of Defense and Treasury as well as the White House National Security Advisor about the administration’s efforts to “combat Iran’s rampant evasion of U.S. and international sanctions through cryptocurrency (crypto) mining.”
‘Steady Revenue Source’
“Iran legalized the crypto mining industry in 2019,” Warren and King wrote. “In the five years since Iran has raised millions of dollars through mining crypto… a steady revenue source that allows it to purchase imports, move funds domestically and internationally, and fund Hamas and other terrorist organizations.
“This ongoing activity by the Iranian government threatens our national security,” the senators warned.