A discreet stablecoin, called A7A5, allowed Russia to circumvent Western embargoes. More than 100 billion dollars would have passed through this crypto asset, according to data from the firm Elliptic.
In brief
- The A7A5 stablecoin allowed Russia to transfer 100 billion despite sanctions.
- Western sanctions have reduced its liquidity, thereby limiting its role in the overall crypto ecosystem.
Crypto and sanctions: the A7A5 case questions experts
In less than a year, the stablecoin A7A5 has recorded over 250,000 onchain transactions on Ethereum and TRON. According to Elliptic, these operations represent more than 100 billion dollars transferred by Russian crypto wallets, often linked to entities under American and European sanctions.
Designed by A7 LLC, a company specializing in cross-border payments, A7A5 relies on ruble deposits stored at state-owned bank Promsvyazbank. Thanks to this architecture, the token functions as a bridge between the ruble and USDT. It thus facilitates the transition to international crypto markets without keeping funds exposed to prohibitions.
According to the report ofEllipticalA significant portion of these funds passed through decentralized crypto exchanges like Uniswap, where the DEX served as a relay between A7A5 and Tether. This structure reduced dependence on the traditional banking system, while beyond the control of the authorities.
Crypto under pressure: Uniswap, USDT and the fall of A7A5
L'rise of the A7A5 stablecoin experienced a clear slowdown from the summer of 2025. From August, the United States imposed direct sanctions on this crypto-asset. Immediate result: a drastic drop in USDT liquidity and the blocking of exchanges via the Uniswap web interface.
At the end of October, the European Union followed suit, accusing A7A5 of facilitating transactions linked to the Russian war economy. Despite a blockchain infrastructure still operationalthe lack of liquidity caused a drop in volumes: from 1.5 billion per day to 500 million.
Users have also reported crypto wallets frozen by certain platforms after tracing funds to A7A5. These incidents highlight the fragility of DeFi protocols facing crypto regulators.
The A7A5 affair therefore reveals the tensions between technological innovation and geopolitical constraints. Certainly, cryptocurrencies enable disintermediation. However, they remain vulnerable to pressure on regulation, liquidity and crypto exchange platforms.
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