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{"actor":"system:backfill","investigation_id":"3472e4d8-8c79-46b4-b78d-4fdc56e2bc40","kind":"publish","page_slug":"old-vector-llc","published_at":"2026-10-04T23:07:27.339Z","sequence_num":1,"snapshot":{"content_type":"investigation","entity_name":"Old Vector LLC","sections":[{"content":"Old Vector LLC is formally registered in the Kyrgyz Republic under the name Obshchestvo s Ogranichennoi Otvetstvennostyu Old Vektor. The company was incorporated on December 13, 2024, in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan. Two addresses appear in official records: 172 Zh/M Archa Beshik, Ul. Kyzyl Adyr, Leninsky District, Bishkek (per OFAC designation) and 40/4 Karalaeva Street, Oktyabrsky District, Bishkek (per OpenSanctions). Its Kyrgyz Tax ID is 01312202410041 and registration number 311479-3301-OOO. The entity operated websites at a7a5.io and a7a5.kg. Its nominal business classification per Kyrgyz registration filings is non-specialized wholesale trade. The company was incorporated approximately two months before the December 2024 incorporation of Grinex, with which it was co-developed.","heading":"Identity and Registration","severity":"medium","sources":[{"credibility":1,"name":"OFAC Designation — August 14, 2025 (recent-actions/20250814)","type":"regulatory","url":"https://ofac.treasury.gov/recent-actions/20250814"},{"credibility":1,"name":"OpenSanctions — Old Vector LLC entity profile","type":"regulatory","url":"https://www.opensanctions.org/entities/NK-BWSfTq3iX7YzFrwPyiszKh/"}]},{"content":"Old Vector LLC is the formal issuer of A7A5, a ruble-denominated stablecoin deployed on the Tron and Ethereum blockchains. According to OFAC and blockchain analytics firms, each A7A5 token is backed by ruble deposits held at PSB Bank (Promsvyazbank), a Russian state-owned financial institution whose chairman is appointed by the President of the Russian Federation. A7A5 launched in January 2025 in conjunction with A7 LLC, a Moscow-based cross-border payment company reported to be 51%-owned by Ilan Mironovich Shor and 49%-owned by Promsvyazbank. OFAC declared the A7A5 token itself blocked property as part of its August 2025 action. According to U.S. Treasury's October 2026 Operation Economic Outcast press release, the token moved more than $179.1 billion across more than 180 entities between February 2025 and June 2026. The A7 Network, of which Old Vector was a component, claimed in January 2026 to process over 2,000 daily transactions totaling approximately 7.5 trillion rubles ($91.5 billion USD), amounting to roughly 13% of Russia's 2025 foreign trade. Chainalysis and Elliptic research corroborate the A7A5 token's scale, with Elliptic reporting over $100 billion in total transaction volume.","heading":"A7A5 Stablecoin and Role in the A7 Network","severity":"critical","sources":[{"credibility":1,"name":"U.S. Treasury Press Release — Operation Economic Outcast (Oct 1, 2026)","type":"regulatory","url":"https://home.treasury.gov/news/press-releases/sb0644"},{"credibility":2,"name":"Chainalysis — How A7A5 and Grinex Enable The Russian Shadow Crypto Economy","type":"research","url":"https://www.chainalysis.com/blog/a7a5-grinex-russian-crypto-economy-ofac-sanctions-august-2025/"},{"credibility":2,"name":"Elliptic — A7A5: The ruble-backed stablecoin crosses $100 billion in transactions","type":"research","url":"https://www.elliptic.co/blog/a7a5-the-ruble-backed-stablecoin-100-billion-in-transactions"},{"credibility":2,"name":"CoinDesk — OFAC Sanctions Crypto Network Behind Ruble-Backed Stablecoin and Shuttered Exchange Garantex","type":"news_article","url":"https://www.coindesk.com/policy/2025/08/14/ofac-sanctions-crypto-network-behind-ruble-backed-stablecoin-and-shuttered-exchange-garantex"}]},{"content":"On August 14, 2025, OFAC designated Old Vector LLC under Executive Order 13694 (as amended) and the Ukraine-/Russia-Related Sanctions Regulations, 31 CFR 589.201. The stated legal basis (sanctions program code CYBER4) was that Old Vector materially assisted, sponsored, or provided financial, material, or technological support for, or goods or services to, cyber-enabled activities posing a threat to U.S. national security, foreign policy, or economic health or financial stability. OFAC simultaneously published two blockchain addresses associated with Old Vector LLC as blocked property: Ethereum address 0x12de548F79a50D2bd05481C8515C1eF5183666a9 and Tron address TCFD8N3vM5b4Gr5f1kkajQsodRVNyyAq1d. U.S. persons are prohibited from transacting with these addresses. The August 14, 2025 action also designated Grinex (the successor to Garantex), Garantex co-founders Sergey Mendeleev and co-owners Pavel Karavatsky and Aleksandr Mira Serda. Old Vector is additionally listed in the U.S. GSA SAM procurement exclusions effective March 30, 2026.","heading":"U.S. OFAC Sanctions Designation (August 14, 2025)","severity":"critical","sources":[{"credibility":1,"name":"OFAC — Recent Actions August 14, 2025","type":"regulatory","url":"https://ofac.treasury.gov/recent-actions/20250814"},{"credibility":1,"name":"Federal Register — Notice of OFAC Sanctions Action (FR-2025-08-18 / 2025-15668)","type":"regulatory","url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2025/08/18/2025-15668/notice-of-ofac-sanctions-action"},{"credibility":1,"name":"OpenSanctions — Old Vector LLC (FinCEN record)","type":"regulatory","url":"https://www.opensanctions.org/entities/us-fincen-52ab3224365c29ce6b26edbbbb95e2e4582cd555/"}]},{"content":"On October 1, 2026, U.S. Treasury announced Operation Economic Outcast, designating the broader A7 Network as a significant transnational criminal organization (TCO) and escalating enforcement beyond the individual-entity designations of August 2025. Treasury characterized the A7 Network as a shadow banking network with ties to Russia used by the Iranian regime to evade sanctions. FinCEN sub-agent analysis identified over $17 billion processed globally between January 2025 and June 2026, with network sub-agents holding accounts at approximately 435 financial institutions in at least 83 countries. The operation also identified A7 Network usage by Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and Iranian proxies: one sub-agent received approximately $140 million from Iranian sanctions evasion entities; another transferred approximately $1.6 million to companies linked to Iranian weapons procurement. Connections to Nobitex, Iran's largest digital asset exchange (designated June 2, 2026), were noted. Old Vector LLC's prior SDN designation remained in force; the October 2026 action extended the designation umbrella to additional network nodes. Concurrently, FinCEN issued alert FIN-2026-Alert007 and proposed a rule under Section 9714 to prohibit U.S. financial institutions from processing fund transmittals involving A7 Network sub-agents in fiat currency and convertible virtual currency.","heading":"Operation Economic Outcast and TCO Designation (October 1, 2026)","severity":"critical","sources":[{"credibility":1,"name":"U.S. Treasury Press Release — Operation Economic Outcast (Oct 1, 2026)","type":"regulatory","url":"https://home.treasury.gov/news/press-releases/sb0644"},{"credibility":1,"name":"FinCEN Alert — A7 Network (October 2026, PDF)","type":"regulatory","url":"https://www.fincen.gov/system/files/2026-10/FinCEN-Alert-A7-Network.pdf"},{"credibility":2,"name":"CryptoTimes — US Treasury Blocks Russia-Linked A7 Network Iran Used to Move Money","type":"news_article","url":"https://www.cryptotimes.io/2026/10/02/us-treasury-blocks-russia-linked-a7-network-iran-used-to-move-money/"}]},{"content":"Multiple jurisdictions have independently sanctioned Old Vector LLC. The UK's Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office added the entity to its Russia sanctions list on August 20, 2025, for supporting the Russian Government and its financial services sector. The European Union included Old Vector LLC and a transaction ban on A7A5 in its 19th sanctions package against Russia, adopted October 23, 2025. Switzerland adopted equivalent measures on December 13, 2025. Australia designated Old Vector under its Russia sanctions framework effective February 24, 2026. Canada designated the entity under the Special Economic Measures Act. OpenSanctions records Old Vector LLC on 15 sanctions lists across 12 jurisdictions and sources as of the date of this investigation.","heading":"International Sanctions (EU, UK, Switzerland, Australia, Canada)","severity":"critical","sources":[{"credibility":1,"name":"OpenSanctions — Old Vector LLC (15 sanctions lists, 12 sources)","type":"regulatory","url":"https://www.opensanctions.org/entities/NK-BWSfTq3iX7YzFrwPyiszKh/"},{"credibility":2,"name":"CoinLaw — US Sanctions Russian Crypto Platforms Used to Evade Global Restrictions","type":"news_article","url":"https://coinlaw.io/us-sanctions-garantex-grinex-a7a5-russian-crypto/"},{"credibility":2,"name":"Business and Human Rights Resource Centre — EU sanctions Russian co. A7 for alleged election meddling in Moldova","type":"news_article","url":"https://www.business-humanrights.org/en/latest-news/eu-sanctions-russian-co-a7-for-alleged-election-meddling-in-moldova/"}]},{"content":"Old Vector LLC's A7A5 token played a central role in the transition from Garantex to Grinex. Garantex was a Russian crypto exchange sanctioned by OFAC in April 2022 for facilitating over $100 million in transactions linked to ransomware groups including Conti and LockBit. A multinational law enforcement action disrupted Garantex infrastructure in March 2025. According to Elliptic and CoinDesk reporting, Garantex transferred customer funds to Grinex — a successor exchange created by former Garantex employees — and enabled users to recover frozen balances via A7A5 tokens credited in equivalent amounts. This structure allowed the sanctioned Garantex customer base to continue operating under a new brand while Old Vector LLC's token served as the continuity mechanism. Grinex was sanctioned by OFAC in August 2025 alongside Old Vector LLC as part of the same enforcement action.","heading":"Connection to Garantex and Grinex","severity":"critical","sources":[{"credibility":2,"name":"Elliptic — Sanctioned Russia-linked crypto exchange Grinex halts operations","type":"research","url":"https://www.elliptic.co/blog/sanctioned-russia-linked-crypto-exchange-grinex-halts-operations-following-alleged-hack"},{"credibility":2,"name":"CoinDesk — OFAC Sanctions Crypto Network Behind Ruble-Backed Stablecoin and Shuttered Exchange Garantex","type":"news_article","url":"https://www.coindesk.com/policy/2025/08/14/ofac-sanctions-crypto-network-behind-ruble-backed-stablecoin-and-shuttered-exchange-garantex"}]},{"content":"A7 LLC — the parent entity within which Old Vector LLC was a component — is reported to be 51%-owned by Ilan Mironovich Shor, a Moldovan-Israeli oligarch who was convicted of fraud and money laundering in Moldova and resides in Russia as a fugitive from Moldovan justice. Shor has been sanctioned by the UK, EU, and U.S. and is identified in U.S. Treasury's October 2026 Operation Economic Outcast press release as the leader of the A7 Network TCO. The remaining 49% of A7 LLC is reportedly held by Promsvyazbank (PSB Bank), a Russian state-owned bank. Elliptic's reporting on leaked A7 Network data also alleged the network was used as a vehicle for Russian-backed election influence operations in Moldova's 2024 presidential election and 2025 parliamentary elections; no court adjudication on those election interference allegations has been identified as of the investigation date. Old Vector LLC itself has no individuals named on its public Kyrgyz registration filings; the leadership connection runs through the parent A7 LLC structure.","heading":"Key Individual: Ilan Mironovich Shor","severity":"critical","sources":[{"credibility":1,"name":"U.S. Treasury Press Release — Operation Economic Outcast (Oct 1, 2026)","type":"regulatory","url":"https://home.treasury.gov/news/press-releases/sb0644"},{"credibility":1,"name":"Lawfare — To Evade Sanctions, The Kremlin Turns to a Convicted Money Launderer","type":"news_article","url":"https://www.lawfaremedia.org/article/to-evade-sanctions--the-kremlin-turns-to-a-convicted-money-launderer"},{"credibility":2,"name":"Elliptic — The A7 leaks: crypto in Russian sanctions evasion and election interference","type":"research","url":"https://www.elliptic.co/insights/the-a7-leaks-the-role-of-crypto-in-russian-sanctions-evasion-and-election-interference/"},{"credibility":2,"name":"Moldova Matters — How Ilan Shor Plans to Turn Rubles into Power in Moldova","type":"news_article","url":"https://www.moldovamatters.md/p/how-ilan-shor-plans-to-turn-rubles"}]},{"content":"OFAC's August 14, 2025 designation published two blockchain addresses directly associated with Old Vector LLC and declared as blocked property. The Ethereum address 0x12de548F79a50D2bd05481C8515C1eF5183666a9 and the Tron address TCFD8N3vM5b4Gr5f1kkajQsodRVNyyAq1d are confirmed by OFAC and OpenSanctions. Any U.S. person or entity transacting with these addresses is in potential violation of OFAC sanctions. Compliance screening systems should treat these addresses as maximum-risk.","heading":"On-Chain Identifiers","severity":"critical","sources":[{"credibility":1,"name":"OFAC — Recent Actions August 14, 2025","type":"on_chain","url":"https://ofac.treasury.gov/recent-actions/20250814"},{"credibility":1,"name":"OpenSanctions — Old Vector LLC entity profile","type":"on_chain","url":"https://www.opensanctions.org/entities/NK-BWSfTq3iX7YzFrwPyiszKh/"}]},{"content":"Any entity that transacts with Old Vector LLC, A7A5 tokens, or the blocked ETH/TRX addresses may face secondary sanctions exposure under U.S. law. The A7A5 token is designated as blocked property. FinCEN's proposed special measure, if finalized, would directly prohibit U.S. financial institutions from processing fund transmittals involving A7 Network sub-agents. Exchanges or custodians that have listed, traded, or held A7A5 face regulatory scrutiny. The network's sub-agents operated accounts at approximately 435 financial institutions across 83 countries, creating broad potential exposure for correspondent banks and payment processors worldwide.","heading":"Compliance and Counterparty Risk","severity":"critical","sources":[{"credibility":1,"name":"FinCEN Alert — A7 Network (October 2026, PDF)","type":"regulatory","url":"https://www.fincen.gov/system/files/2026-10/FinCEN-Alert-A7-Network.pdf"},{"credibility":2,"name":"CoinLaw — US Sanctions Russian Crypto Platforms Used to Evade Global Restrictions","type":"news_article","url":"https://coinlaw.io/us-sanctions-garantex-grinex-a7a5-russian-crypto/"}]}],"sources_used":[{"credibility":1,"name":"OFAC — Recent Actions August 14, 2025","type":"regulatory","url":"https://ofac.treasury.gov/recent-actions/20250814"},{"credibility":1,"name":"U.S. Treasury — Operation Economic Outcast Press Release (Oct 1, 2026)","type":"regulatory","url":"https://home.treasury.gov/news/press-releases/sb0644"},{"credibility":1,"name":"Federal Register — Notice of OFAC Sanctions Action 2025-15668","type":"regulatory","url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2025/08/18/2025-15668/notice-of-ofac-sanctions-action"},{"credibility":1,"name":"FinCEN Alert — A7 Network (October 2026)","type":"regulatory","url":"https://www.fincen.gov/system/files/2026-10/FinCEN-Alert-A7-Network.pdf"},{"credibility":1,"name":"OpenSanctions — Old Vector LLC entity profile","type":"regulatory","url":"https://www.opensanctions.org/entities/NK-BWSfTq3iX7YzFrwPyiszKh/"},{"credibility":1,"name":"OpenSanctions — Old Vector LLC (FinCEN record)","type":"regulatory","url":"https://www.opensanctions.org/entities/us-fincen-52ab3224365c29ce6b26edbbbb95e2e4582cd555/"},{"credibility":1,"name":"Lawfare — To Evade Sanctions, The Kremlin Turns to a Convicted Money Launderer","type":"news_article","url":"https://www.lawfaremedia.org/article/to-evade-sanctions--the-kremlin-turns-to-a-convicted-money-launderer"},{"credibility":2,"name":"Chainalysis — How A7A5 and Grinex Enable The Russian Shadow Crypto Economy","type":"research","url":"https://www.chainalysis.com/blog/a7a5-grinex-russian-crypto-economy-ofac-sanctions-august-2025/"},{"credibility":2,"name":"Elliptic — A7A5: The ruble-backed stablecoin crosses $100 billion in transactions","type":"research","url":"https://www.elliptic.co/blog/a7a5-the-ruble-backed-stablecoin-100-billion-in-transactions"},{"credibility":2,"name":"Elliptic — The A7 leaks: crypto in Russian sanctions evasion and election interference","type":"research","url":"https://www.elliptic.co/insights/the-a7-leaks-the-role-of-crypto-in-russian-sanctions-evasion-and-election-interference/"},{"credibility":2,"name":"Elliptic — Sanctioned Russia-linked crypto exchange Grinex halts operations","type":"research","url":"https://www.elliptic.co/blog/sanctioned-russia-linked-crypto-exchange-grinex-halts-operations-following-alleged-hack"},{"credibility":2,"name":"CoinDesk — OFAC Sanctions Crypto Network Behind Ruble-Backed Stablecoin and Shuttered Exchange Garantex","type":"news_article","url":"https://www.coindesk.com/policy/2025/08/14/ofac-sanctions-crypto-network-behind-ruble-backed-stablecoin-and-shuttered-exchange-garantex"},{"credibility":2,"name":"CoinLaw — US Sanctions Russian Crypto Platforms Used to Evade Global Restrictions","type":"news_article","url":"https://coinlaw.io/us-sanctions-garantex-grinex-a7a5-russian-crypto/"},{"credibility":2,"name":"CryptoTimes — US Treasury Blocks Russia-Linked A7 Network Iran Used to Move Money","type":"news_article","url":"https://www.cryptotimes.io/2026/10/02/us-treasury-blocks-russia-linked-a7-network-iran-used-to-move-money/"},{"credibility":2,"name":"Moldova Matters — How Ilan Shor Plans to Turn Rubles into Power in Moldova","type":"news_article","url":"https://www.moldovamatters.md/p/how-ilan-shor-plans-to-turn-rubles"},{"credibility":2,"name":"Business and Human Rights Resource Centre — EU sanctions Russian co. A7 for alleged election meddling in Moldova","type":"news_article","url":"https://www.business-humanrights.org/en/latest-news/eu-sanctions-russian-co-a7-for-alleged-election-meddling-in-moldova/"}],"summary":"Old Vector LLC (also rendered as OOO Old Vektor) is a Kyrgyzstan-registered limited liability company incorporated in December 2024, operating as the issuer of the A7A5 ruble-backed stablecoin. The entity was sanctioned by the U.S. Treasury Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) on August 14, 2025, and subsequently by the European Union, United Kingdom, Switzerland, Australia, and Canada, for its role as infrastructure within a Russian sanctions evasion and money laundering network. The A7A5 token it issued is declared blocked property by OFAC and processed an estimated $179.1 billion in transactions between February 2025 and June 2026, representing approximately 13% of Russia's 2025 foreign trade volume according to U.S. Treasury.","timeline":[{"date":"2022-04-01","event":"OFAC sanctions Garantex for facilitating over $100 million in illicit transactions including ransomware payments tied to Conti and LockBit.","source":"OFAC / CoinDesk","source_url":"https://www.coindesk.com/policy/2025/08/14/ofac-sanctions-crypto-network-behind-ruble-backed-stablecoin-and-shuttered-exchange-garantex"},{"date":"2024-09-01","event":"A7 Network formally launched by Ilan Shor and Promsvyazbank as a cross-border payments and sanctions evasion system, per U.S. Treasury.","source":"U.S. Treasury — Operation Economic Outcast","source_url":"https://home.treasury.gov/news/press-releases/sb0644"},{"date":"2024-12-13","event":"Old Vector LLC incorporated in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan (registration number 311479-3301-OOO, Tax ID 01312202410041). Grinex also incorporated in December 2024.","source":"OFAC SDN listing / OpenSanctions","source_url":"https://www.opensanctions.org/entities/NK-BWSfTq3iX7YzFrwPyiszKh/"},{"date":"2025-01-01","event":"A7A5 stablecoin launched, with Old Vector LLC as issuer, backed by PSB Bank ruble deposits.","source":"Elliptic research","source_url":"https://www.elliptic.co/blog/a7a5-the-ruble-backed-stablecoin-100-billion-in-transactions"},{"date":"2025-03-01","event":"Multinational enforcement action disrupts Garantex infrastructure. Grinex begins crediting former Garantex customers with A7A5 tokens.","source":"Elliptic / CoinDesk","source_url":"https://www.elliptic.co/blog/sanctioned-russia-linked-crypto-exchange-grinex-halts-operations-following-alleged-hack"},{"date":"2025-08-14","event":"OFAC designates Old Vector LLC to the SDN list under CYBER4 and Ukraine/Russia sanctions programs. A7 LLC, Grinex, and associated Garantex individuals also designated. A7A5 token declared blocked property. Two blockchain addresses (ETH and TRX) blocked.","source":"U.S. Treasury / OFAC","source_url":"https://ofac.treasury.gov/recent-actions/20250814"},{"date":"2025-08-18","event":"OFAC designation of Old Vector LLC published in the Federal Register.","source":"Federal Register","source_url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2025/08/18/2025-15668/notice-of-ofac-sanctions-action"},{"date":"2025-08-20","event":"UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office adds Old Vector LLC to Russia sanctions list.","source":"OpenSanctions","source_url":"https://www.opensanctions.org/entities/NK-BWSfTq3iX7YzFrwPyiszKh/"},{"date":"2025-10-23","event":"European Union formally sanctions Old Vector LLC and imposes a transaction ban on the A7A5 token as part of the EU's 19th Russia sanctions package.","source":"OpenSanctions / Business and Human Rights Resource Centre","source_url":"https://www.opensanctions.org/entities/NK-BWSfTq3iX7YzFrwPyiszKh/"},{"date":"2025-12-13","event":"Switzerland adopts equivalent sanctions measures covering Old Vector LLC.","source":"OpenSanctions","source_url":"https://www.opensanctions.org/entities/NK-BWSfTq3iX7YzFrwPyiszKh/"},{"date":"2026-02-24","event":"Australia designates Old Vector LLC under its Russia sanctions framework.","source":"OpenSanctions","source_url":"https://www.opensanctions.org/entities/NK-BWSfTq3iX7YzFrwPyiszKh/"},{"date":"2026-03-30","event":"Old Vector LLC added to U.S. General Services Administration SAM procurement exclusions list.","source":"OpenSanctions","source_url":"https://www.opensanctions.org/entities/NK-BWSfTq3iX7YzFrwPyiszKh/"},{"date":"2026-10-01","event":"U.S. Treasury announces Operation Economic Outcast, designating the A7 Network as a significant transnational criminal organization (TCO). FinCEN issues concurrent alert (FIN-2026-Alert007) and proposes rule to prohibit U.S. financial institution transmittals involving A7 sub-agents. A7A5 reported to have processed $179.1 billion across 180+ entities.","source":"U.S. Treasury / FinCEN","source_url":"https://home.treasury.gov/news/press-releases/sb0644"}]},"v":1}