Wasabi Wallet developer zkSNACKs has announced that it will be blocking U.S. citizens from accessing its services. This ban applies to all U.S. citizens and residents, including those with permanent residency or a U.S. passport, and will take immediate effect. As a result, individuals from the U.S. will no longer be able to visit websites such as wasabiwallet.io, api.wasabiwallet.io, and zksnacks.com.

zkSNACKs has stated that U.S. citizens and residents are prohibited from accessing its websites, as well as downloading or using the Wasabi Wallet and related services like APIs and RPC interfaces. This restriction applies to all United States citizens and residents, regardless of their status as permanent residents or passport holders.

The decision to block U.S. citizens and residents from accessing its services comes in response to recent announcements by U.S. authorities. zkSNACKs joins a growing list of crypto platforms that are adjusting their services due to increased scrutiny from U.S. regulators.

For example, Phoenix Wallet recently announced that it would cease operations for U.S. residents starting May 3, removing its app from U.S. app stores. ACINQ, the company behind Phoenix Wallet, advised its U.S. users to withdraw funds promptly to avoid higher fees.

Similar to zkSNACKs, ACINQ cited concerns raised by recent U.S. government statements regarding potential regulation of self-custodial wallets, Lightning service providers, and Lightning nodes as the reason for pulling Phoenix Wallet from U.S. app stores.

In a separate development, federal prosecutors in New York recently indicted the founders of Samourai Wallet for their alleged involvement in illegal transactions totaling over $2 billion. These charges carry severe penalties and underscore a broader crackdown by U.S. authorities on crypto wallets and mixers engaged in questionable activities.

This series of events has sparked controversy within the crypto community, with some advocating for privacy rights in line with Bitcoin’s principles.

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