Report: The use of cryptocurrency to evade sanctions surged by 700% in 2025

By: rootdata|2026/03/06 11:44:09
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According to CoinDesk, Chainalysis' latest report shows that in 2025, cryptocurrency-related illegal activities linked to sanctions surged, with sanctioned entities receiving at least $104 billion in cryptocurrency, a 700% increase from 2024, driving the total illegal on-chain transaction volume for the year to $154 billion.

Countries like Russia, Iran, and North Korea, which are under U.S. and European sanctions, are integrating cryptocurrency into their national financial strategies to circumvent the traditional banking system. The report specifically notes that the ruble-pegged stablecoin A7A5 is a primary channel for sanctioned Russian enterprises, processing $93.3 billion in transactions in less than a year, serving as a settlement avenue for cross-border trade by sanctioned Russian companies.

This token is associated with the exchanges Grinex and Meer, having processed billions of dollars in transactions before being sanctioned by the U.S. and Europe. A7A5 also offers "instant exchange" services, allowing tokens to be converted into mainstream U.S. dollar stablecoins with minimal KYC checks, having processed over $2.2 billion in transactions to date, effectively enabling sanctioned entities to enter the broader crypto economy.

Addresses linked to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps of Iran account for over 50% of the value received by Iranian services, transferring over $3 billion in funds. North Korea remains the largest actor in cyber theft, stealing over $2 billion in cryptocurrency in 2025. Stablecoins currently account for about 84% of illegal transaction volume.

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WEEX P2P update: Country/region restrictions for ad posting

To improve ad security and matching accuracy, WEEX P2P now allows advertisers to restrict who can trade with their ads based on country or region. Advertisers can select preferred counterparty locations for a safer, smoother trading experience.

 

I. Overview

When publishing P2P ads, advertisers can now set the following:

Allow only counterparties from selected countries or regions to trade with your ads.

With this feature, you can:

Target specific user groups more precisely.Reduce cross-region trading risks.Improve order matching quality.

 

II. Applicable scenarios

The following are some common scenarios:

Restrict payment methods: Limit orders to users in your country using supported local banks or wallets.Risk control: Avoid trading with users from high-risk regions.Operational strategy: Tailor ads to specific markets.

 

III. How to get started

On the ad posting page, find "Trading requirements":

Select "Trade with users from selected countries or regions only".Then select the countries or regions to add to the allowlist.Use the search box to quickly find a country or region.Once your settings are complete, submit the ad to apply the restrictions.

 

When an advertiser enables the "Country/Region Restriction" feature, users who do not meet the criteria will be blocked when placing an order and will see the following prompt:

If you encounter this issue when placing an order as a regular user, try the following solutions.

Choose another ad: Select ads that do not restrict your country/region, or ads that allow users from your location.Show local ads only: Prioritize ads available in the same country as your identity verification.

 

IV. Benefits

Compared with ads without country/region restrictions, this feature provides the following improvements.

Aspect

Improvement

Trading security

Reduces abnormal orders and fraud risk

Conversion efficiency

Matches ads with more relevant users

Order completion rate

Reduces failures caused by incompatible payment methods

V. FAQ

Q1: Why are some users not able to place orders on my ad?
A1: Their country or region may not be included in your allowlist.

 

Q2: Can I select multiple countries or regions when setting the restriction?
A2: Yes, multiple selections are supported.

 

Q3: Can I edit my published ads?
A3: Yes. You can edit your ad in the "My Ads" list. Changes will take effect immediately after saving.

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