US Designates Russia's A7 Network as Transnational Criminal Organization
U.S. Treasury targeted the Russian-linked A7 Network, which it says Iran and the IRGC used to evade sanctions. OFAC designated it a transnational criminal organization, and FinCEN proposed a rule under the Combating Russian Money Laundering Act that would block transfers involving the network’s “Sub-Agents,” cutting them off from U.S. finance, including crypto. Treasury says A7 runs a mirror system: the ruble-backed A7A5 token, issued by Kyrgyz-registered Old Vector and used on Tron and Ethereum, moves value in crypto while related fiat payments are routed through companies holding accounts at hundreds of banks worldwide. FinCEN says more than 180 entities processed at least $179.1 billion in A7A5 from February 2025 to June 2026, and A7’s fiat side handled over $17 billion from January 2025 to June 2026. Treasury links the network to Iranian oil and weapons-procurement activity, Nobitex, and laundering from North Korean exchange hacks. The network was launched in 2024 by Ilan Shor and Promsvyazbank.
