The article discusses how sanctioned countries like Russia, Iran, and North Korea are increasingly using cryptocurrency to bypass financial sanctions. It highlights the growth of crypto transactions involving sanctioned entities, noting over $100 billion moved in 2025, up from previous years. The piece explains how these nations have developed sophisticated systems to circumvent traditional banking networks by utilizing blockchain technology, which allows anonymous and traceable value transfers. Specific examples include Russia’s use of stablecoins like A7A5 to facilitate international payments and Iran’s reliance on cryptocurrency exchanges and wallets linked to state actors. The report suggests that cryptocurrency is becoming a critical tool for these regimes to maintain economic activity despite Western sanctions.
Bias read (Center): While the article presents information about the use of cryptocurrency by sanctioned states, it does not overtly favor any particular political ideology or side. The framing remains objective, focusing on factual developments and data provided by monitoring firms like Chainalysis and TRM Labs. There






