Use case
Crypto sanctions screening for exchanges
Crypto sanctions screening is checking the wallet addresses, users and sessions an exchange touches against sanctions lists — the OFAC SDN list first — before a deposit is credited, a withdrawal is sent or an account is opened. CompliAPI runs each check as one authenticated GET request.
Crypto sanctions screening is the check an exchange runs on every wallet address, user identifier and session against sanctions lists before value moves. Exchanges sit at the boundary between crypto rails and regulated finance, so the check shows up at several points in their operations: users joining the platform, addresses receiving withdrawals, deposits arriving from unknown wallets, and sessions from restricted jurisdictions.
CompliAPI covers those checkpoints with one API: direct OFAC SDN checks on wallet addresses, emails, websites and government IDs, plus geolocation with a sanctioned-country flag and VPN detection for session policy. Sanctions screening on the blockchain side is not chain-specific — any chain whose addresses appear in list records is covered (EVM chains, Bitcoin, Tron, Solana and others).
Where CompliAPI fits
User onboarding
Screen the email and government ID a new user submits — a partial government ID returns ranked candidate matches with the OFAC source record.
OFAC API — screen against the official SDN list →Withdrawal addresses
Run OFAC crypto screening on the destination address before processing a withdrawal, and hold matches for review with the source record attached.
Wallet screening API for crypto compliance →Deposit sources
Run the same OFAC crypto screening on the sending address of incoming deposits as part of your crediting workflow.
Wallet screening API for crypto compliance →Session jurisdiction rules
Geolocate sessions, flag sanctioned countries, and use the VPN signal to decide how much to trust the location.
IP Geofencing API for Sanctioned Countries →Scope
CompliAPI checks identifiers for direct appearance in OFAC SDN data. Exchanges with obligations around indirect exposure, fund-flow tracing, or global list coverage will pair it with blockchain-analytics and other screening tooling — CompliAPI supplies fast direct checks and the official source record, not a full AML stack.
Frequently asked questions
Can screening keep up with withdrawal volume?
Each check is a single GET request with a structured JSON response, designed to sit inline in a withdrawal pipeline. Requests are metered against your organization's monthly quota, and higher-volume plans are available.
How does government-ID screening handle partial IDs?
Exact and substring matches are returned ranked by similarity, each with the official OFAC record — so a truncated or partial ID still surfaces candidates for your review team to assess.
Is this a replacement for blockchain analytics?
No. CompliAPI answers whether an identifier appears directly in OFAC data. Indirect exposure and transaction tracing are blockchain-analytics capabilities that some exchanges also need — the two are complementary.
Can our AI or automation tooling call the same checks?
Yes. Every screening capability is also exposed as an MCP tool with the same tokens, quota and logging, so agent-based ops tooling can run the same checks as your platform code.
Does using CompliAPI make the exchange OFAC-compliant?
No tool can guarantee that. Screening is one control inside the compliance program your organization designs — and what that program must include is a question for your compliance team and counsel.
Is there free crypto sanctions screening?
Yes, in two forms. For a one-off lookup, the free browser search at /tools/sdn-search checks a wallet address or name against the OFAC SDN list and every other list CompliAPI ingests, no account needed. For integration, the free API key carries 10,000 requests per month with no credit card; the paid plans raise the quota, not the feature set.
What should a crypto sanctions compliance screening tool check?
Whether an address appears directly on official sanctions lists, with the list named and the official record linked; the email, website and government ID a user submits at onboarding; the session's country and VPN signal; and a per-request audit log you can show an examiner. Exposure scoring and fund-flow tracing are blockchain-analytics capabilities, not screening — many exchanges run both, but they answer different questions.
The solutions behind this use case
Sanctions screening
Wallet screening API for crypto compliance
Automated crypto wallet and address screening against OFAC and global sanctions lists in one GET request.
Sanctions screening
OFAC API — screen against the official SDN list
Screen crypto wallets, emails, IDs and countries against the official US Treasury OFAC SDN list, refreshed every 15 minutes.
Access controls
VPN Detection API for OFAC & Sanctions Screening
Detect VPNs that defeat geo-blocking.
From the blog: How to Check If a Crypto Wallet Is Sanctioned →
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