Treasury Cracks Down on A7 Network, Cutting Off Iran from US Financial System
The US Department of the Treasury has designated the A7 Network as a significant transnational criminal organization, used by Iran to evade sanctions. The network is led by Ilan Mironovich Shor, a sanctioned and convicted fraudster, and uses purpose-built Sub-Agents to disguise illicit payments as ordinary trade.
The A7A5 token, issued by Old Vector LLC, allows members to transact internationally while evading sanctions. FinCEN found that the network's Sub-Agents processed over $17 billion between January 2025 and June 2026, with daily volume exceeding $91.5 billion in rubles as of January 2026.
The proposed rule would cut off the network's Sub-Agents from the US financial system, blocking all A7 Network property within US jurisdiction. The public comment period closes 30 days after the rule is published in the Federal Register. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said, 'Treasury is dismantling the financial infrastructure that allows Iran and other adversaries to evade sanctions, move illicit funds, and undermine the integrity of the global financial system.'
The A7 Network has ties to Nobitex, Iran's largest digital asset exchange, as well as transactions linked to North Korean hacks of cryptocurrency exchanges and ransomware actors. The US and foreign persons who transact with blocked parties face civil or criminal penalties, Treasury warned.