zkSNACKs, developer of Wasabi Wallet, one of the most recognized privacy-focused Bitcoin wallets, communicated a significant change to your access policy. As of April 27, the company decided to block access to its services by citizens and residents of the United States, a move that reflects growing American regulatory and fiscal pressure on the cryptocurrency sector.
The measure includes restricting visits to the company's official websites, as well as the download and use of Wasabi Wallet, in addition to all associated products and services, such as APIs and RPC interfaces. According to the company's statement, the decision is a direct response to recent announcements by US authorities.
“In light of recent announcements from US authorities, zkSNACKs now strictly prohibits US users from using its services. IP address blocking for US residents is effective on wasabiwallet.io, api.wasabiwallet.io, and zksnacks.com,” the company stated.
This announcement comes on the heels of other significant actions that have impacted privacy-focused Bitcoin wallets. On April 24, the FBI seized the Samourai Wallet website and arrested its developers. Additionally, it issued a warning against so-called “cryptocurrency money transmission companies”, increasing uncertainty about what is legally permitted in the cryptocurrency ecosystem.
The FBI's action, combined with other recent court rulings such as those involving Tornado Cash, has sparked significant concerns among Bitcoin wallet service providers. In response, ACINQ, another major Lightning Network service provider and developer of Phoenix Wallet, announced its withdrawal from the United States a day before Wasabi Wallet communicated its decision.
