More than 100 billion dollars were reportedly moved through this crypto asset.
A specific stablecoin named A7A5 allowed Russia to bypass Western embargoes. According to data from the firm Elliptic, more than 100 billion dollars were reportedly moved through this crypto asset.
A7A5 and the bypassing of sanctions
In less than a year, the A7A5 stablecoin recorded over 250,000 on-chain transactions on the Ethereum and TRON networks. As Elliptic reports, these transactions correspond to transfers of over 100 billion dollars from Russian crypto wallets, often linked to entities under US and European sanctions.
A7A5 was designed by A7 LLC, a company specializing in cross-border payments, and is backed by ruble deposits held at the state-owned Promsvyazbank. Thanks to this structure, the token functions as a bridge between the ruble and USDT, facilitating access to international crypto markets without the funds being directly exposed to prohibitions.
The role of DEXs and the avoidance of the banking system
According to the Elliptic report, cited by Cointribune, a significant portion of the funds passed through decentralized exchanges, such as Uniswap, where DEXs acted as intermediaries between A7A5 and Tether. This architecture reduced dependence on the traditional banking system, while simultaneously avoiding direct oversight by the authorities.
Sanctions, Uniswap, and the fall of A7A5
The rise of A7A5 slowed down significantly starting in the summer of 2025. In August, the United States imposed direct sanctions on this specific crypto asset. The result was immediate: a drastic reduction in USDT liquidity and the blocking of transactions through the Uniswap web interface.
In late October, the European Union followed suit, accusing A7A5 of facilitating transactions linked to the Russian war economy. Although the blockchain infrastructure remained operational, the lack of liquidity led to a sharp drop in transaction volume, from 1.5 billion dollars daily to approximately 500 million.
The lesson of A7A5 for the future of crypto
Users also reported wallet freezes by certain platforms after funds linked to A7A5 were detected. These incidents highlight the vulnerability of DeFi protocols to regulatory authorities. The A7A5 case ultimately reveals the tension between technological innovation and geopolitical constraints.
Although cryptocurrencies allow for disintermediation, they remain vulnerable to regulatory pressure, liquidity issues, and their dependence on crypto platforms and markets.
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