OFAC Sanctions Screening Glossary Part 1

What sanctions screening is, and how one API call keeps agent payments compliant.

TL;DR

TL;DR: Sanctions screening is checking a counterparty against OFAC lists before transacting. The sanctionsai.dev API does this in one HTTP call under 100 ms, returning ALLOW for clean or BLOCK for flagged.

What sanctions screening is

Sanctions screening is the process of comparing a counterparty, a person, entity, or wallet, against the SDN List, the Specially Designated Nationals and Blocked Persons List maintained by OFAC, the Office of Foreign Assets Control. A match means the transaction must not proceed.

Why screening matters

OFAC enforcement is strict liability, so intent is not required and a payment to a listed party triggers a civil penalty starting at $356,000 per violation. The payment rails, including x402, AP2, ACP, and Coinbase AgentKit, move money but do not screen, which is why screening must be added separately.

Screening in practice

The sanctionsai.dev API screens a counterparty before an agent pays. It covers 947 OFAC-listed crypto wallets, 19,218 SDN names, and 16 jurisdictions, synced hourly. A free tier offers 5 checks per day with no signup and no key, and paid plans start at $19 per month. Not documented: any additional list sources beyond OFAC data.