Venezuelan and Iranian users have reported on Twitter that they are unable to access the cryptocurrency wallet MetaMask and the NFT marketplace OpenSea.
Venezuelan users are not permitted to use MetaMask.
A user named EzioRed alleged on Twitter that the ConsenSys wallet is prohibiting Venezuelan users from accessing Ethereum. He shared a screenshot of his wallet, illustrating his inability to do transactions with it. Although the wallet is blocked, it seems that the users are being blocked by Infura, MetaMask’s service provider. According to the wallet’s help page, MetaMask and Infura are also unavailable in some locations owing to legal constraints.
We have not been able to substantiate this with MetaMask, and it is unclear to what extent the alleged impediments represent a tightening of the US and other government-sanctioned countries’ regulations.
While users in Venezuela claim they have been refused access to their wallets, artists in Iran claim they have been banned access to the non-fiat currency marketplace OpenSea. Although we were unable to contact OpenSea for confirmation, an increasing number of Iranian users have reported that their trading accounts were terminated without notice or explanation.
An Iranian artist’s collection of 218 ETH traded volumes has gone. Another artist said that his collectors were unable to see his work and that his account had been disabled. Iranian users are experiencing similar difficulties as those in Venezuela while seeking to access their MetaMask wallets. There is a possibility that the two incidents are related, although neither corporation has stated as of this writing.
Opensea Issues a Statement on US Sanctions Against Iran
The platform’s prohibition on Iranian users has finally been addressed by Opensea. The main reason, according to the site, is because of US sanctions.
What was the reaction to OpenSea’s declaration on US sanctions against Iran?
The aforementioned comment sparked a heated debate among the NFT community over whether OpenSea was correct in its decision.
Twitter user @wildalps, for example, contends that the artworks fall within the category of the information material. As a result, there should be no ban. She uploaded screenshots of sanctions-related legislation and regulations.
Parin Heidari, a well-known artist, was just named one of the top female artists on OpenSea. Unfortunately, owing to US sanctions legislation, the site has blacklisted her. She asked “When I was featured on your homepage and verified. Was my nationality any different? I guess I’ve always been Iranian by blood.”
In a statement to CoinDesk, a spokesman for the marketplace said, “OpenSea blocks users and territories on the list from using our services, including buying, selling, or transferring NFTs on OpenSea. If we find individuals to violate our sanctions policy, we take swift action to ban the associated accounts.”
In essence, US sanctions regulations specify that US corporations will not offer products or services to anybody in a sanctioned nation. Iran, North Korea, Syria, and Russia are among the countries sanctioned by the United States.
In addition, Metamask users in Venezuela have been locked out of their wallets as a result of recent US sanctions imposed on sections of Ukraine.
