Japan added Russian cryptocurrency exchange Garantex to an asset-freeze list covering 33 entities and nine individuals under sanctions linked to Russia’s war in Ukraine. Payments and specified capital transactions with designated parties, including deposits, trusts and money loans, now require government permission under Japan’s foreign exchange law. The package also imposed service and financing restrictions on 35 vessels, with limited transitional treatment for pre-existing contracts until November 1, 2026. Japan identified the exchange as Garantex Europe OU, with Garantex listed as an alias, but did not disclose Garantex-linked assets in Japan or identify frozen cryptocurrency wallets. The designation follows U.S. and EU actions against the exchange and the 2025 disruption of its infrastructure. U.S. authorities have alleged that Garantex facilitated money laundering and sanctions evasion, while the Justice Department has alleged it processed at least $96 billion in cryptocurrency transactions since April 2019.