Russia’s ban on WhiteBIT criminalizes interaction with the firm, citing donations exceeding $11 million to Ukraine’s military and $160 million processed for defense and humanitarian aid.
Russia’s Prosecutor General has designated Ukrainian cryptocurrency exchange WhiteBIT and its parent company W Group as undesirable organizations, making any business or personal interaction with them a criminal offense in Russia. Authorities allege the firms supported Ukraine’s military with at least $11 million in funding, including nearly $1 million for drones, and processed over $160 million in defense and humanitarian donations via Whitepay. WhiteBIT left Russia in 2022, blocking Russian and Belarusian users and ending ruble trading pairs, a move that cut 30% of its user base. The exchange has since expanded to 8 million users and entered the U.S. market despite the ban.