TRM Labs' January report says illicit crypto use hit $158B overall, with about $39B of sanctions-related flows tied to the A7 wallet cluster and its ruble stablecoin A7A5. Launched Feb 2025 by the A7 platform (co-owned by sanctioned oligarch Ilan Shor and state-linked Promsvyazbank), A7A5 traded on sanctioned Moscow exchange Garantex and successor platforms Grinex, Meer and Bitpapa as volumes surged in 2025. Analysts and Chainalysis characterize the token as state-aligned on‑chain financial infrastructure used for commercial cross‑border activity Monday–Friday, implying coordinated sanctions evasion; A7A5 plans to let PSB cardholders buy tokens.

TRM Labs reports $158B in illicit crypto use and ~$39B in sanctions-related flows tied to the A7 cluster and A7A5; the token was launched Feb 2025, traded on sanctioned exchanges and successors, is described by analysts and Chainalysis as state-aligned onchain infrastructure for commercial cross-border activity, and plans to allow PSB cardholders to buy tokens — facts that indicate regulatory and sanctions risk and substantial onchain flow that could move markets.