The US sanctioned the Russia-linked A7 payment network and proposed new restrictions to cut its crypto intermediaries off from global markets. The Treasury Department designated A7 as a significant transnational criminal organization on October 1, extending sanctions beyond individual companies to the broader network. According to FinCEN, A7 sub-agents processed over $17 billion in dollar-denominated transactions between January 2025 and June 2026. The network used its ruble-backed A7A5 token as a bridge into liquid crypto assets, frequently converting it into Tether’s USDT for international payments. The proposed rules would prohibit covered financial institutions from sending or receiving funds involving A7 sub-agents, including transactions to or from crypto addresses administered on their behalf.
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