Audit log

Every state-changing event for A7A5 Stablecoin / Old Vector: moderation decisions on community submissions, plus corrections and updates from the news pipeline. URL-based decisions carry three independent witnesses — the original source, an Internet Archive snapshot taken at submission time, and a Solana memo signed by our publicly-disclosed publisher key.

1. #1publishby system:backfill

   2026-06-29 23:15:17Z
   Score: ? → ? (no score change)
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   ●mainnet-betaslot 429,760,737

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   bgko2JzB7vW1…ue9nD4fQcopyexplorer ↗

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   F2dafAeSh6p7…k2z6dEvYcopysha256 → base58

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   {"actor":"system:backfill","investigation_id":"1895b94b-3df1-4c1f-a840-b7073d45c494","kind":"publish","page_slug":"a7a5-stablecoin-old-vector","published_at":"2026-06-29T23:15:17.523Z","sequence_num":1,"snapshot":{"content_type":"investigation","entity_name":"A7A5 Stablecoin / Old Vector","sections":[{"content":"Old Vector LLC, A7 LLC, and related subsidiaries are subject to sanctions from multiple jurisdictions. On August 14, 2025, the U.S. Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) designated Old Vector LLC (Kyrgyzstan), A7 Limited Liability Company (Russia), A71 LLC (Russia), and A7 Agent LLC (Russia) under Executive Order 13694 as amended, for their roles in developing and distributing the A7A5 token in connection with the sanctioned exchange Garantex and its successor Grinex. The United Kingdom designated A7 and Old Vector on May 26, 2025 as part of a broader package targeting 18 entities including HTX/Huobi, citing A7A5's role in Russian sanctions evasion. The European Union included A7A5, its developer, Old Vector, and primary trading venue Grinex in its 19th Russia sanctions package adopted October 23, 2025; transactions involving A7A5 were formally prohibited across EU member states beginning November 25, 2025. Canada, Switzerland (SECO), Ukraine's National Security and Defense Council, France, and Belgium have also listed Old Vector and related entities on their respective sanctions lists. OFAC's SDN registration for Old Vector lists it at two Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan addresses, with registration number 311479-3301-OOO and Tax ID 01312202410041.","heading":"Sanctions Designations","severity":"critical","sources":[{"credibility":1,"name":"Treasury Sanctions Cryptocurrency Exchange and Network Enabling Sanctions Evasion and Cyber Criminals","type":"regulatory","url":"https://home.treasury.gov/news/press-releases/sb0225"},{"credibility":1,"name":"OFAC Recent Actions August 14, 2025","type":"regulatory","url":"https://ofac.treasury.gov/recent-actions/20250814"},{"credibility":1,"name":"Old Vector LLC - OpenSanctions","type":"regulatory","url":"https://www.opensanctions.org/entities/NK-BWSfTq3iX7YzFrwPyiszKh/"},{"credibility":2,"name":"UK targets A7A5 stablecoin, Huobi/HTX for Russian sanctions evasion - CoinGeek","type":"news_article","url":"https://coingeek.com/uk-targets-a7a5-stablecoin-huobi-htx-for-russian-sanctions-evasion/"},{"credibility":1,"name":"EU's 19th sanctions package targets Russian energy, third-country banks and crypto providers - Council of the EU","type":"regulatory","url":"https://www.consilium.europa.eu/en/press/press-releases/2025/10/23/19th-package-of-sanctions-against-russia-eu-targets-russian-energy-third-country-banks-and-crypto-providers/"},{"credibility":2,"name":"OFAC targets use of stablecoins for Russian sanctions evasion - Elliptic","type":"research","url":"https://www.elliptic.co/blog/ofac-targets-use-of-stablecoins-for-russian-sanctions-evasion"}]},{"content":"A7A5 is the token of A7 LLC, a Moscow-based cross-border payment services company. A7 LLC is 51%-owned by Ilan Shor, a Moldovan-born fugitive oligarch who received Russian citizenship in 2024 and was previously convicted in absentia by Moldovan courts of orchestrating the theft of approximately $1 billion from three Moldovan banks in 2014, an event often described as the 'theft of the century' representing roughly one-eighth of Moldova's GDP. Shor was sentenced in absentia to 15 years imprisonment in 2023 and has been sanctioned by the US, EU, UK, and Switzerland. A7 LLC is 49%-owned by Promsvyazbank (PSB), Russia's eighth-largest bank, which was nationalized in 2008 and repurposed as a lender to Russia's military-industrial complex. PSB has itself been sanctioned by the US, EU, and UK. Pyotr Fradkov, head of Promsvyazbank since 2018 and son of former Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Fradkov, is listed as A7's co-executive alongside Shor. The formal issuer of the A7A5 token is Old Vector LLC, incorporated in Kyrgyzstan on December 13, 2024. Related subsidiaries include A71 LLC and A7 Agent LLC, both Russian entities that were designated by OFAC on August 14, 2025. Vladimir Putin personally attended the opening of an A7 branch in Vladivostok in September 2025, according to Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty reporting.","heading":"Ownership and Corporate Structure","severity":"critical","sources":[{"credibility":1,"name":"The Fugitive Oligarch, The Cryptocurrency, And A 'Wild' Kremlin-Blessed Sanctions Evasion Scheme - RFE/RL","type":"news_article","url":"https://www.rferl.org/a/russia-cryptocurrency-moldova-kyrgyzstan-a7-sanctions/33609918.html"},{"credibility":2,"name":"A7 Leaks: The role of crypto in Russian sanctions evasion and election interference - Elliptic","type":"research","url":"https://www.elliptic.co/blog/the-a7-leaks-the-role-of-crypto-in-russian-sanctions-evasion-and-election-interference"},{"credibility":1,"name":"Treasury Targets Corruption and the Kremlin's Malign Influence Operations in Moldova","type":"regulatory","url":"https://home.treasury.gov/news/press-releases/jy1049"},{"credibility":2,"name":"Ilan Shor - Wikipedia","type":"other","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ilan_Shor"},{"credibility":2,"name":"Moldovan fugitive oligarch Ilan Shor in Russia's sanctions circumvention deal - European Interest","type":"news_article","url":"https://www.europeaninterest.eu/moldovan-fugitive-oligarch-ilan-shor-in-russias-sanctions-circumvention-deal-reveals-an-ft-investigation/"}]},{"content":"A7A5 operates as a ruble-denominated stablecoin on the Ethereum and TRON public blockchains, claiming a 1:1 backing by ruble deposits held at Promsvyazbank (PSB). Russian and Kyrgyz entities facing Western sanctions cannot access SWIFT-connected correspondent banking; A7A5 provides a blockchain-native settlement layer that bypasses this restriction entirely. Unlike USDT (Tether), which froze approximately $28 million in Garantex-controlled wallets in March 2025 at the request of Western authorities, A7A5 was deliberately designed without a centralized freeze or burn capability accessible to Western regulators. Smart contract controls over wallet freezes are held by Russian and Kyrgyz developers, placing the token outside the reach of US, EU, or UK enforcement mechanisms short of secondary sanctions. On-chain analysis by Chainalysis and TRM Labs demonstrates that A7A5 trading volumes spike sharply on weekday business hours and drop nearly to zero on weekends, consistent with institutional cross-border settlement use rather than retail speculation. The primary trading venue has been Grinex LLC (itself designated by OFAC on August 14, 2025), supplemented by Meer Exchange (Kyrgyzstan) and the A7A5 decentralized exchange. The A7A5 system also enables users to convert between rubles and USDT, providing a cash-out pathway into dollar-denominated assets. PSB debit card purchasing through A7A5 processed approximately $26 million. A product called Stablepay allows A7A5 holders to pay for overseas subscriptions using a virtual debit card, further extending the token's utility outside Russia's borders.","heading":"Mechanism of Sanctions Evasion","severity":"critical","sources":[{"credibility":2,"name":"Garantex, Grinex, and the A7A5 Token: A Deep Dive into Sanctions Evasion Networks - TRM Labs","type":"research","url":"https://www.trmlabs.com/resources/blog/garantex-grinex-and-the-a7a5-token-a-deep-dive-into-sanctions-evasion-networks"},{"credibility":2,"name":"How A7A5 and Grinex Enable The Russian Shadow Crypto Economy - Chainalysis","type":"research","url":"https://www.chainalysis.com/blog/a7a5-grinex-russian-crypto-economy-ofac-sanctions-august-2025/"},{"credibility":2,"name":"A7A5: The ruble-backed stablecoin crosses $100 billion in transactions - Elliptic","type":"research","url":"https://www.elliptic.co/blog/a7a5-the-ruble-backed-stablecoin-100-billion-in-transactions"},{"credibility":2,"name":"How Russia Uses Cryptocurrency to Bypass Western Sanctions: The A7A5 Token and Hidden Networks","type":"research","url":"https://ftfa-sao.org/how-russia-uses-cryptocurrency-to-bypass-western-sanctions-the-a7a5-token-and-hidden-networks"}]},{"content":"Garantex Europe OU was a cryptocurrency exchange originally registered in Estonia that relocated operations to Moscow's Federation Tower in 2019. OFAC first designated Garantex in April 2022 for processing over $100 million in illicit transactions linked to ransomware actors (Conti, LockBit, Ryuk, Black Basta, NetWalker, Phoenix Cryptolocker), darknet market Hydra, and cybercriminals. Garantex lost its Estonian operating license in February 2022 due to anti-money laundering deficiencies and continued operating illegally. On March 6, 2025, a multinational law enforcement operation led by the U.S. Secret Service, with coordination from the FBI, German BKA, Dutch National Police, Finnish National Bureau of Investigation, and Estonian National Criminal Police, seized Garantex's primary web domains (garantex.org, garantex.io, garantex.academy) and froze over $26 million in cryptocurrency. On March 7, 2025, the DOJ unsealed indictments against Aleksandr Mira Serda (Russian national, Garantex co-owner and CCO; later arrested in India) and Lithuanian national Aleksej Besciokov. TRM Labs on-chain analysis identifies a key wallet address (TNDjh6WGLYyWmkh8vfu42bXVHUqFNQ3rDq) labeled by OFAC as Garantex-controlled that began moving funds into A7A5 in January 2025, weeks before the March takedown, suggesting foreknowledge of the forthcoming enforcement action. Following the Garantex seizure, Grinex LLC was promoted as a continuation platform offering 'familiar functionality.' Grinex was incorporated in Kyrgyzstan in December 2024 and listed A7A5 from launch; it was designated by OFAC on August 14, 2025. Former Garantex customers reportedly received A7A5 token credits equivalent to frozen balances as a mechanism for fund recovery.","heading":"Connection to Garantex and Grinex","severity":"critical","sources":[{"credibility":1,"name":"U.S. Secret Service Seizes Russian Cryptocurrency Exchange Websites","type":"regulatory","url":"https://www.secretservice.gov/newsroom/releases/2025/03/us-secret-service-seizes-russian-cryptocurrency-exchange-websites"},{"credibility":1,"name":"Russian crypto exchange Garantex seized by law enforcement operation - TechCrunch","type":"news_article","url":"https://techcrunch.com/2025/03/06/russian-crypto-exchange-garantex-seized-by-law-enforcement-operation/"},{"credibility":1,"name":"Treasury Sanctions Cryptocurrency Exchange and Network - U.S. Treasury","type":"regulatory","url":"https://home.treasury.gov/news/press-releases/sb0225"},{"credibility":2,"name":"Garantex, Grinex, and the A7A5 Token: A Deep Dive - TRM Labs","type":"research","url":"https://www.trmlabs.com/resources/blog/garantex-grinex-and-the-a7a5-token-a-deep-dive-into-sanctions-evasion-networks"},{"credibility":1,"name":"GRINEX LLC - OpenSanctions","type":"regulatory","url":"https://www.opensanctions.org/entities/NK-nCCRCEZeb4t4Rz8QxUji3C/"}]},{"content":"A7A5 launched in January 2025 and grew rapidly. CertiK's blockchain intelligence analysis found that cumulative on-chain transactions exceeded $110 billion by approximately May 2026. Elliptic reported that aggregate transactions crossed $100 billion, with $17.3 billion in exchange volumes across primary trading pairs: A7A5/rubles ($11.2 billion) and A7A5/USDT ($6.1 billion). Approximately 250,000 transactions have been recorded from 41,300 distinct accounts, with the holder count rising from approximately 13,000 wallets in February 2025 to 29,000 wallets by May 2026 per CertiK, and to 35,500 accounts as of July 2025 per Elliptic. Peak daily transfer volumes reached $1.5 billion, declining to approximately $500 million daily following sanctions. Chainalysis reported $51 billion in processed volume in its August 2025 analysis. As of mid-2026, approximately 42.5 billion A7A5 tokens were in circulation, valued at approximately $547 million at the prevailing ruble exchange rate. CertiK noted that A7A5 captured approximately 43% of the global non-US dollar stablecoin market at its peak. The Ethereum contract address for A7A5 is 0x6fA0BE17e4beA2fCfA22ef89BF8ac9aab0AB0fc9. A wrapped version (wA7A5) is deployed at 0x0d57436f2d39c0664c6f0f2e349229483f87ea38 on Ethereum. After Uniswap blocklisted A7A5 in November 2025, DEX liquidity provision dropped from approximately $150 million daily to $0.5 million weekly.","heading":"Transaction Volumes and Market Data","severity":"high","sources":[{"credibility":2,"name":"A7A5 Stablecoin Keeps Growing, Moving $110B Even Under Sanctions: CertiK - Crypto Economy","type":"research","url":"https://crypto-economy.com/a7a5-stablecoin-keeps-growing/"},{"credibility":2,"name":"A7A5: The ruble-backed stablecoin crosses $100 billion in transactions - Elliptic","type":"research","url":"https://www.elliptic.co/blog/a7a5-the-ruble-backed-stablecoin-100-billion-in-transactions"},{"credibility":2,"name":"Russian ruble stablecoin A7A5 grows despite Western sanctions: CertiK - TradingView / CoinTelegraph","type":"news_article","url":"https://www.tradingview.com/news/cointelegraph:6e755cb2c094b:0-russian-ruble-stablecoin-a7a5-grows-despite-western-sanctions-certik/"},{"credibility":1,"name":"A7A5 Token - Etherscan","type":"on_chain","url":"https://etherscan.io/address/0x6fA0BE17e4beA2fCfA22ef89BF8ac9aab0AB0fc9"},{"credibility":2,"name":"A7A5 Price - CoinGecko","type":"other","url":"https://www.coingecko.com/en/coins/a7a5"}]},{"content":"Old Vector LLC, Grinex LLC, and Meer Exchange are all registered in Kyrgyzstan. Kyrgyzstan passed a 'On Virtual Assets' law in January 2022, creating a licensing framework for virtual asset service providers; by October 2024, 126 VASP licenses had been issued with $4.2 billion in transaction volumes among licensed providers in seven months. Kyrgyzstan's deepening bilateral trade relationship with Russia following the February 2022 invasion of Ukraine, its role as a transit hub for goods (including dual-use electronics) moving from China to Russia, and its relatively permissive regulatory environment have made it a significant node in Russian sanctions evasion infrastructure. Old Vector and Grinex entities were registered at addresses that have been characterized as residential or shell-like in nature. British Members of Parliament urged the UK government to impose sanctions on Kyrgyz officials alleged to have facilitated Russian crypto evasion, as reported by the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP). The Centre for Information Resilience published a dedicated report on A7A5's use of Kyrgyz infrastructure to circumvent Western sanctions.","heading":"Role of Kyrgyzstan as Operational Hub","severity":"high","sources":[{"credibility":1,"name":"British MPs Urge Sanctions on Kyrgyz Leaders Aiding Russian Sanctions Evasion - OCCRP","type":"news_article","url":"https://www.occrp.org/en/news/uk-lawmakers-demand-sanctions-on-kyrgyz-officials-over-russian-crypto-evasion"},{"credibility":2,"name":"Garantex, Grinex, and the A7A5 Token - TRM Labs","type":"research","url":"https://www.trmlabs.com/resources/blog/garantex-grinex-and-the-a7a5-token-a-deep-dive-into-sanctions-evasion-networks"},{"credibility":2,"name":"A7A5: Circumventing sanctions with stablecoin cryptocurrency - Centre for Information Resilience","type":"research","url":"https://www.info-res.org/reports/a7a5-circumventing-sanctions-with-stablecoin-cryptocurrency/"}]},{"content":"Ilan Shor (born March 6, 1987, Tel Aviv) is the 51% shareholder of A7 LLC. He is a Moldovan-born businessman who fled Moldova in 2019 and now resides in Russia, where he received citizenship in 2024. He was convicted in absentia by Moldovan courts in 2023 and sentenced to 15 years for orchestrating a $1 billion bank fraud. He is designated as an SDN by OFAC, and is sanctioned by the EU, UK, and Switzerland. He publicly presented A7 to Vladimir Putin at the Eastern Economic Forum in Vladivostok in September 2025 per RFE/RL reporting. Pyotr Fradkov is the head of Promsvyazbank (PSB) since 2018 and serves as a co-executive of A7; he is the son of former Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Fradkov. Sergey Mendeleev is a co-founder of Garantex and was designated by OFAC on August 14, 2025; he controlled InDeFi Bank and Exved (a Tether-based cross-border payments platform). Aleksandr Mira Serda was Garantex's co-owner and CCO, indicted on March 7, 2025, and arrested in India; he was designated by OFAC on August 14, 2025. Pavel Karavatsky was a Garantex co-owner and regional director, also designated on August 14, 2025. The U.S. State Department offered rewards of up to $5 million for information leading to the arrest and conviction of Mira Serda, and up to $1 million for other Garantex leaders.","heading":"Key Named Individuals","severity":"critical","sources":[{"credibility":1,"name":"Treasury Sanctions Cryptocurrency Exchange and Network - U.S. Treasury","type":"regulatory","url":"https://home.treasury.gov/news/press-releases/sb0225"},{"credibility":1,"name":"The Fugitive Oligarch, The Cryptocurrency, And A Wild Kremlin-Blessed Sanctions Evasion Scheme - RFE/RL","type":"news_article","url":"https://www.rferl.org/a/russia-cryptocurrency-moldova-kyrgyzstan-a7-sanctions/33609918.html"},{"credibility":2,"name":"Moldovan oligarch Ilan Shor funded by Russian Abramovich, key to Kremlin's sanctions-evasion network - bne IntelliNews","type":"news_article","url":"https://www.intellinews.com/moldovan-oligarch-ilan-shor-funded-by-russian-abramovich-key-to-kremlin-s-sanctions-evasion-network-450400/"}]},{"content":"Following OFAC's August 2025 designations, Uniswap blocklisted A7A5 in November 2025, causing DEX liquidity to collapse from approximately $150 million daily to $0.5 million weekly. The Chainalysis 2026 Crypto Crime Report referenced A7A5 and Grinex as major components of the Russian shadow crypto economy. EU's 20th Russia sanctions package (adopted in 2026) introduced a sweeping ban on all crypto asset transactions with Russian and Belarusian providers. Russia retaliated against critics of A7A5: on June 3, 2026, Russia's Foreign Ministry added Alexander Browder, a 17-year-old British student and son of anti-corruption campaigner Bill Browder, to its sanctions list after Browder published a Henry Jackson Society report in March 2026 exposing alleged illicit crypto laundering operations including A7A5. Russia's Ministry of Finance simultaneously published a competing narrative that A7A5 is a legitimate trade tool not intended for sanctions circumvention; this characterization is disputed by OFAC, the EU, UK FCDO, and multiple blockchain analytics firms. The A7A5 stablecoin aims, according to its developers, to position itself as a general trade settlement instrument; regulators in Western jurisdictions have not accepted this framing.","heading":"Regulatory and Industry Response","severity":"high","sources":[{"credibility":1,"name":"Russia sanctions British teenager for alleging A7A5 use in funding Ukraine war - CoinDesk","type":"news_article","url":"https://www.coindesk.com/policy/2026/06/04/russia-sanctions-british-teenager-for-alleging-a7a5-use-in-funding-ukraine-war"},{"credibility":1,"name":"British teenager sanctioned by Russia over his report on alleged Moscow-backed crypto laundering - Euronews","type":"news_article","url":"https://www.euronews.com/my-europe/2026/06/04/british-teenager-sanctioned-by-russia-over-his-report-on-alleged-moscow-backed-crypto-laun"},{"credibility":1,"name":"EU Adopts 20th Sanctions Package on Russia Including Sweeping Ban on Crypto - TRM Labs","type":"regulatory","url":"https://www.trmlabs.com/resources/blog/eu-adopts-20th-sanctions-package-on-russia----including-a-sweeping-ban-on-all-crypto-asset-transactions-with-russian-and-belarusian-providers"},{"credibility":2,"name":"A7A5 stablecoin aims to evolve beyond sanctions as trade tool - Crypto Briefing","type":"news_article","url":"https://cryptobriefing.com/a7a5-stablecoin-sanctions-trade-tool/"},{"credibility":2,"name":"Crypto Sanctions: 2026 Crypto Crime Report - Chainalysis","type":"research","url":"https://www.chainalysis.com/blog/crypto-sanctions-2026/"}]}],"sources_used":[{"credibility":1,"name":"Treasury Sanctions Cryptocurrency Exchange and Network Enabling Sanctions Evasion and Cyber Criminals","type":"regulatory","url":"https://home.treasury.gov/news/press-releases/sb0225"},{"credibility":1,"name":"OFAC Recent Actions - August 14, 2025","type":"regulatory","url":"https://ofac.treasury.gov/recent-actions/20250814"},{"credibility":1,"name":"Old Vector LLC - OpenSanctions","type":"regulatory","url":"https://www.opensanctions.org/entities/NK-BWSfTq3iX7YzFrwPyiszKh/"},{"credibility":1,"name":"GRINEX LLC - OpenSanctions","type":"regulatory","url":"https://www.opensanctions.org/entities/NK-nCCRCEZeb4t4Rz8QxUji3C/"},{"credibility":1,"name":"U.S. Secret Service Seizes Russian Cryptocurrency Exchange Websites","type":"regulatory","url":"https://www.secretservice.gov/newsroom/releases/2025/03/us-secret-service-seizes-russian-cryptocurrency-exchange-websites"},{"credibility":1,"name":"EU 19th Russia Sanctions Package - Council of the EU","type":"regulatory","url":"https://www.consilium.europa.eu/en/press/press-releases/2025/10/23/19th-package-of-sanctions-against-russia-eu-targets-russian-energy-third-country-banks-and-crypto-providers/"},{"credibility":1,"name":"Treasury Targets Corruption and Kremlin Malign Influence in Moldova","type":"regulatory","url":"https://home.treasury.gov/news/press-releases/jy1049"},{"credibility":2,"name":"Garantex, Grinex, and the A7A5 Token: A Deep Dive into Sanctions Evasion Networks - TRM Labs","type":"research","url":"https://www.trmlabs.com/resources/blog/garantex-grinex-and-the-a7a5-token-a-deep-dive-into-sanctions-evasion-networks"},{"credibility":2,"name":"How A7A5 and Grinex Enable The Russian Shadow Crypto Economy - Chainalysis","type":"research","url":"https://www.chainalysis.com/blog/a7a5-grinex-russian-crypto-economy-ofac-sanctions-august-2025/"},{"credibility":2,"name":"A7A5: The ruble-backed stablecoin crosses $100 billion in transactions - Elliptic","type":"research","url":"https://www.elliptic.co/blog/a7a5-the-ruble-backed-stablecoin-100-billion-in-transactions"},{"credibility":2,"name":"OFAC targets use of stablecoins for Russian sanctions evasion - Elliptic","type":"research","url":"https://www.elliptic.co/blog/ofac-targets-use-of-stablecoins-for-russian-sanctions-evasion"},{"credibility":2,"name":"The A7 Leaks: The role of crypto in Russian sanctions evasion and election interference - Elliptic","type":"research","url":"https://www.elliptic.co/blog/the-a7-leaks-the-role-of-crypto-in-russian-sanctions-evasion-and-election-interference"},{"credibility":1,"name":"The Fugitive Oligarch, The Cryptocurrency, And A 'Wild' Kremlin-Blessed Sanctions Evasion Scheme - RFE/RL","type":"news_article","url":"https://www.rferl.org/a/russia-cryptocurrency-moldova-kyrgyzstan-a7-sanctions/33609918.html"},{"credibility":1,"name":"Russia sanctions British teenager for alleging A7A5 use in funding Ukraine war - CoinDesk","type":"news_article","url":"https://www.coindesk.com/policy/2026/06/04/russia-sanctions-british-teenager-for-alleging-a7a5-use-in-funding-ukraine-war"},{"credibility":1,"name":"British teenager sanctioned by Russia over his report on alleged Moscow-backed crypto laundering - Euronews","type":"news_article","url":"https://www.euronews.com/my-europe/2026/06/04/british-teenager-sanctioned-by-russia-over-his-report-on-alleged-moscow-backed-crypto-laun"},{"credibility":1,"name":"'I Touched a Nerve': British Teenager Banned From Russia Over Work on Crypto Sanctions Evasion - The Moscow Times","type":"news_article","url":"https://www.themoscowtimes.com/2026/06/05/i-touched-a-nerve-british-teenager-banned-from-russia-over-work-on-crypto-sanctions-evasion-a92940"},{"credibility":1,"name":"Russian crypto exchange Garantex seized by law enforcement operation - TechCrunch","type":"news_article","url":"https://techcrunch.com/2025/03/06/russian-crypto-exchange-garantex-seized-by-law-enforcement-operation/"},{"credibility":1,"name":"British MPs Urge Sanctions on Kyrgyz Leaders Aiding Russian Sanctions Evasion - OCCRP","type":"news_article","url":"https://www.occrp.org/en/news/uk-lawmakers-demand-sanctions-on-kyrgyz-officials-over-russian-crypto-evasion"},{"credibility":2,"name":"A7A5: Circumventing sanctions with stablecoin cryptocurrency - Centre for Information Resilience","type":"research","url":"https://www.info-res.org/reports/a7a5-circumventing-sanctions-with-stablecoin-cryptocurrency/"},{"credibility":2,"name":"Russian ruble stablecoin A7A5 grows despite Western sanctions: CertiK - TradingView/CoinTelegraph","type":"news_article","url":"https://www.tradingview.com/news/cointelegraph:6e755cb2c094b:0-russian-ruble-stablecoin-a7a5-grows-despite-western-sanctions-certik/"},{"credibility":1,"name":"EU Adopts 20th Sanctions Package on Russia Including Sweeping Ban on Crypto - TRM Labs","type":"regulatory","url":"https://www.trmlabs.com/resources/blog/eu-adopts-20th-sanctions-package-on-russia----including-a-sweeping-ban-on-all-crypto-asset-transactions-with-russian-and-belarusian-providers"},{"credibility":2,"name":"Crypto Sanctions: 2026 Crypto Crime Report - Chainalysis","type":"research","url":"https://www.chainalysis.com/blog/crypto-sanctions-2026/"},{"credibility":1,"name":"A7A5 Token - Etherscan","type":"on_chain","url":"https://etherscan.io/address/0x6fA0BE17e4beA2fCfA22ef89BF8ac9aab0AB0fc9"},{"credibility":1,"name":"wA7A5 Token - Etherscan","type":"on_chain","url":"https://etherscan.io/address/0x0d57436f2d39c0664c6f0f2e349229483f87ea38"},{"credibility":2,"name":"A7A5 Price - CoinGecko","type":"other","url":"https://www.coingecko.com/en/coins/a7a5"},{"credibility":2,"name":"Ilan Shor - Wikipedia","type":"other","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ilan_Shor"},{"credibility":2,"name":"UK targets A7A5 stablecoin, Huobi/HTX for Russian sanctions evasion - CoinGeek","type":"news_article","url":"https://coingeek.com/uk-targets-a7a5-stablecoin-huobi-htx-for-russian-sanctions-evasion/"}],"summary":"A7A5 is a Russian ruble-backed stablecoin issued by Old Vector LLC, a Kyrgyzstan-registered company incorporated in December 2024, operating on the Ethereum and TRON blockchains. It was created by A7 LLC, a Moscow-based cross-border payment firm 51%-owned by sanctioned Moldovan oligarch Ilan Shor and 49%-owned by Promsvyazbank, a sanctioned Russian state-owned bank. By mid-2026, A7A5 had processed over $110 billion in cumulative on-chain transactions, making it the subject of sanctions designations by the United States, European Union, United Kingdom, Canada, Switzerland, Ukraine, and other jurisdictions for its role in enabling Russian sanctions evasion and providing a settlement layer for entities seeking to bypass Western financial restrictions.","timeline":[{"date":"2022-04-05","event":"OFAC first designates Garantex for processing over $100 million in illicit transactions linked to ransomware actors and darknet markets.","source":"U.S. Department of the Treasury","source_url":"https://home.treasury.gov/news/press-releases/sb0225"},{"date":"2022-10-26","event":"OFAC designates Ilan Shor as a Specially Designated National for undermining Moldovan democratic institutions and elections on behalf of Russia.","source":"U.S. Department of the Treasury","source_url":"https://home.treasury.gov/news/press-releases/jy1049"},{"date":"2024-12-13","event":"Old Vector LLC is incorporated in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, with registration number 311479-3301-OOO.","source":"OpenSanctions / OFAC SDN records","source_url":"https://www.opensanctions.org/entities/NK-BWSfTq3iX7YzFrwPyiszKh/"},{"date":"2025-01-01","event":"A7A5 stablecoin launches on Ethereum and TRON blockchains, issued by Old Vector LLC and created by A7 LLC. Garantex wallets begin moving funds into A7A5 in January 2025, weeks before the March 2025 enforcement action.","source":"TRM Labs / Elliptic","source_url":"https://www.trmlabs.com/resources/blog/garantex-grinex-and-the-a7a5-token-a-deep-dive-into-sanctions-evasion-networks"},{"date":"2025-02-01","event":"A7A5 holder count stands at approximately 13,000 wallets.","source":"CertiK / CoinTelegraph","source_url":"https://www.tradingview.com/news/cointelegraph:6e755cb2c094b:0-russian-ruble-stablecoin-a7a5-grows-despite-western-sanctions-certik/"},{"date":"2025-03-06","event":"U.S. Secret Service, FBI, and European law enforcement seize Garantex's web domains (garantex.org, garantex.io, garantex.academy) and freeze over $26 million in cryptocurrency. Grinex LLC is promoted as a successor platform.","source":"U.S. Secret Service / TechCrunch","source_url":"https://www.secretservice.gov/newsroom/releases/2025/03/us-secret-service-seizes-russian-cryptocurrency-exchange-websites"},{"date":"2025-03-07","event":"DOJ unseals indictments against Garantex co-owners Aleksandr Mira Serda and Aleksej Besciokov.","source":"U.S. Department of Justice / Axios","source_url":"https://www.axios.com/2025/03/06/garantex-crypto-exchange-cybercrime-takedown"},{"date":"2025-05-26","event":"UK designates A7, Old Vector, and related entities as part of a 18-target sanctions package targeting Russian crypto sanctions evasion.","source":"CoinGeek / Elliptic","source_url":"https://coingeek.com/uk-targets-a7a5-stablecoin-huobi-htx-for-russian-sanctions-evasion/"},{"date":"2025-08-14","event":"OFAC designates Old Vector LLC, A7 LLC, A71 LLC, A7 Agent LLC, Grinex LLC, Sergey Mendeleev, Aleksandr Mira Serda, Pavel Karavatsky, InDeFi Bank, and Exved under E.O. 13694. Garantex re-designated under cyber authorities.","source":"U.S. Department of the Treasury","source_url":"https://home.treasury.gov/news/press-releases/sb0225"},{"date":"2025-09-01","event":"Vladimir Putin attends the opening of an A7 branch in Vladivostok at the Eastern Economic Forum, where Ilan Shor publicly presented the A7 platform.","source":"Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty","source_url":"https://www.rferl.org/a/russia-cryptocurrency-moldova-kyrgyzstan-a7-sanctions/33609918.html"},{"date":"2025-10-23","event":"EU adopts its 19th Russia sanctions package, formally designating A7A5, its developer, Old Vector, and Grinex. Transactions with A7A5 prohibited across EU from November 25, 2025.","source":"Council of the European Union","source_url":"https://www.consilium.europa.eu/en/press/press-releases/2025/10/23/19th-package-of-sanctions-against-russia-eu-targets-russian-energy-third-country-banks-and-crypto-providers/"},{"date":"2025-11-01","event":"Uniswap blocklists A7A5. DEX liquidity provision drops from approximately $150 million daily to $0.5 million weekly.","source":"Elliptic","source_url":"https://www.elliptic.co/blog/a7a5-the-ruble-backed-stablecoin-100-billion-in-transactions"},{"date":"2026-03-01","event":"Alexander Browder (17, son of Bill Browder) publishes a Henry Jackson Society report 'Confronting the Illicit-Finance Hydra in Crypto Markets' exposing A7A5 and alleging approximately $350 billion laundered by Russia and other states through crypto.","source":"CoinDesk / Euronews","source_url":"https://www.coindesk.com/policy/2026/06/04/russia-sanctions-british-teenager-for-alleging-a7a5-use-in-funding-ukraine-war"},{"date":"2026-05-01","event":"CertiK reports A7A5 has processed over $110 billion in cumulative on-chain transactions and accounts for approximately 43% of the global non-US dollar stablecoin market. Holder count reaches 29,000 wallets.","source":"CertiK / CoinTelegraph","source_url":"https://www.tradingview.com/news/cointelegraph:6e755cb2c094b:0-russian-ruble-stablecoin-a7a5-grows-despite-western-sanctions-certik/"},{"date":"2026-06-03","event":"Russia's Foreign Ministry adds Alexander Browder to its sanctions list in apparent retaliation for his report exposing A7A5.","source":"CoinDesk / Euronews / The Moscow Times","source_url":"https://www.coindesk.com/policy/2026/06/04/russia-sanctions-british-teenager-for-alleging-a7a5-use-in-funding-ukraine-war"}]},"v":1}

   Verify offline (run on your own machine)

   python -m src.verify_decision 61c462d9-388f-4eeb-9f5c-fd4e3ee9985acopy