Non-Supported Industries and Countries

Our Commitment to Regulatory Compliance

Unicorn Currencies is dedicated to adhering to all relevant laws and regulations, including those concerning anti-money laundering (AML), counter-terrorism financing (CTF), sanctions, and export controls. We operate through a curated network of FCA-authorized payment partners and licensed financial institutions. Our banking partners and payment service providers enforce their own requirements and restrictions, which cover certain industries, activities, and countries as outlined below.

We do not support the onboarding of, or incoming/outgoing payments from/to any entities or individuals which fall into the below industries, or operate/are registered in the below countries.

Non-compliance with these restrictions can cause payment delays or rejections, with repeated violations potentially leading to account suspension or closure. For further information, contact our Compliance Team at compliance@unicorncurrencies.com.

Non-Supported Industries

The following business sectors and activities are prohibited from using Unicorn Currencies' services:

Adult Content & Services

• Pornography production, distribution, or hosting
• Adult entertainment venues
• Escort services and sale/advertising of sexual services
• Dating services with adult or escort components

Gambling & Gaming

• Online gambling, casinos, or betting operations (licensed or unlicensed)
• Fantasy sports platforms involving real-money wagering
• Lottery services or sweepstakes with cash prizes
• Skill-gaming platforms that involve monetary stakes

Weapons, Defence & Military

• Firearms, ammunition, or weapons manufacturers and dealers
• Defence contractors and military equipment suppliers
• Explosives, fireworks, or incendiary device manufacturers
• Chemical or biological weapons components
• Nuclear or military energy applications
• 3D-printed weapon file distribution

Controlled Substances & Related Products

• Cannabis cultivation, distribution, or retail (including CBD products)
• Recreational marijuana businesses in any jurisdiction
• Drug paraphernalia manufacturing or sales
• Unlicensed pharmaceutical distribution
• Psychoactive substances or designer drugs

Tobacco & Nicotine Products

• Tobacco manufacturers, distributors, or retailers
• E-cigarette and vaping product companies
• Smokeless tobacco or nicotine product manufacturers

Financial Crime & Illegal Activities

• Money services businesses (MSBs) that are unlicensed or unregulated
• Cryptocurrency exchanges, mixers, tumblers, or unlicensed digital asset platforms
• Shell companies without legitimate business operations
• Bearer share corporations
• Entities engaged in money laundering, terrorist financing, or sanctions evasion
• Fraud, Ponzi schemes, pyramid schemes, or other deceptive practices
• Counterfeit goods manufacturers or distributors
• Unlicensed payment processors or payment facilitators
• Shell banks or banks with no physical presence

High-Risk Financial Services

• Payday lenders or high-interest short-term lending operations
• Pawn shops or title loan businesses
• Check cashing services without proper licensing
• Debt collection agencies engaged in aggressive or illegal practices
• Credit repair services making false claims
• Multi-level marketing (MLM) businesses with pyramid characteristics
• Get-rich-quick schemes or business opportunity scams

Additional categories: High-value & cash-intensive businesses (diamond/precious metals merchants without EDD, second-hand vehicle import in high-risk scenarios, bonded warehouses without EDD); Unregulated charitable & political activities; Intellectual property & legal violations; High-risk merchant categories (telemarketing with high chargeback rates, pseudo-religious or cult organizations, entities on sanctioned business lists).

Non-Supported Countries

Unicorn Currencies does not support onboarding of entities registered in, or incoming/outgoing payments from/to, the following countries and territories:

Comprehensively Sanctioned Jurisdictions

• Afghanistan
• Belarus
• Cuba
• Iran
• North Korea (Democratic People's Republic of Korea)
• Russia
• Syria
• Venezuela

Illegally Annexed or Occupied Territories

• Crimea
• Donetsk People's Republic (DNR)
• Luhansk People's Republic (LNR)
• Zaporizhzhia Region
• Kherson Region

High-Risk & Conflict Zones

• Myanmar (Burma) — Military junta sanctions
• Yemen — Conflict zone with limited financial infrastructure
• Somalia — Conflict zone; arms embargo
• Libya — Conflict zone; asset freezes on certain entities
• Iraq — Enhanced due diligence; limited to specific sectors
• Lebanon — Enhanced due diligence due to Hezbollah financing risks
• Mali — Conflict zone; political instability
• Nicaragua — Targeted sanctions

Countries Under UN or Regional Sanctions

• Burundi, Central African Republic, Democratic Republic of Congo, Republic of the Congo, Ethiopia, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, South Sudan, Sudan, Zimbabwe

Additional Restricted Jurisdictions

• Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo

Restricted Destination Countries (Enhanced Due Diligence Required)

Pakistan, Nigeria, South Africa, United Arab Emirates, Tanzania, Mozambique, Panama (enhanced due diligence). Offshore financial centers & tax havens: British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Seychelles, Marshall Islands, Vanuatu, Belize (enhanced beneficial ownership and source of funds documentation).

Sanctioned Individuals & Entities

Unicorn Currencies screens all clients, beneficial owners, directors, and transaction counterparties against: OFAC SDN List (USA); UK HM Treasury Consolidated List; Canadian Consolidated Autonomous Sanctions List; EU Consolidated Sanctions List; UN Security Council Consolidated List; Interpol and national law enforcement watch lists; Politically Exposed Persons (PEP) databases. Any match or potential match results in automatic transaction blocking and mandatory investigation.

Restricted Currencies

We do not facilitate transactions in: Iranian Rial (IRR), North Korean Won (KPW), Syrian Pound (SYP), Russian Ruble (RUB), Belarusian Ruble (BYN), Venezuelan Bolívar (VES), Cuban Peso (CUP/CUC), Afghan Afghani (AFN), Crimean Ruble (unrecognized currency).

Consequences of Non-Compliance

If you attempt to use Unicorn Currencies' services in violation of these restrictions, we reserve the right to: decline or reverse the transaction; request additional documentation and subject the transaction to enhanced review; suspend or close your account immediately; report the transaction to relevant law enforcement or regulatory authorities; charge administration fees for investigations; permanently ban you from using our platform. We are legally prohibited from disclosing suspicious activity reports (SARs) to the subject of the investigation.

Key Questions