A Document Leak Reveals the Extent of Crypto Usage in the Russian Influence Strategy

Confidential documents reveal the existence of a vast crypto network linked to Moscow. Nearly 8 billion dollars reportedly circulated via stablecoins to bypass Western sanctions and fund political operations in Moldova. A leak that highlights the rise of crypto as an influence tool and a new weapon of hybrid warfare.

A Parallel Financial Circuit Serving Moscow

Elliptic’s analysis highlights a particularly sophisticated setup. The A7 network reportedly functions as a “sanctions bypass” provider, facilitating fund transfers for Russian actors deprived of access to the international banking system.

According to the documents, Promsvyazbank, a state-owned bank already sanctioned for its role in financing the Russian military sector, controls nearly half of this structure.

The leaks also reveal the creation of a stablecoin backed by the ruble, named A7A5 and registered in Kyrgyzstan. Its aim remains clear: to reduce dependence on American stablecoins like USDT, which Washington can block at any time. To bolster its liquidity, the network’s managers injected several million dollars in Tether into this new digital asset.

The path of the funds reflects a well-established strategy. The involved actors route money through Kyrgyz companies, then split it between traditional financial instruments and cryptos.

Among the cited beneficiaries is Maria Albot, a former Moldovan political official sanctioned by the European Union, who allegedly requested significant USDT transfers to an identified wallet.

This financial architecture is no coincidence: it is part of a broader Moscow strategy aimed at reducing its dependence on Western channels. In this logic, Russia is even considering creating a state crypto-bank, inspired by the Belarusian model, to regulate mining and legalize certain flows related to digital assets.

When Crypto Finances Electoral Interference

Elliptic’s analysis highlights troubling links between these financial flows and political interference operations. According to the documents, the Taito app was used to pay local activists directly in Moldova.

At the same time, call centers were allegedly used to organize illegal polls, while a Telegram bot distributed payments after simple identity checks, without proper controls.

These revelations arrive at a particularly sensitive time: the leak’s publication coincided with the approach of Moldovan parliamentary elections. If confirmed, these accusations shed light on a new facet of modern hybrid warfare, where digital money becomes a direct political influence tool and even a vote-buying mechanism.

Caution is still warranted. Attribution of blockchain transactions carries an unavoidable margin of uncertainty. The 8 billion dollars identified rely on associating wallet addresses with specific entities, a widely used forensic analysis technique but never infallible. As for the Kremlin’s exact role, its degree of direct control over each operation remains difficult to determine with certainty.

For Western regulators, however, these elements represent a tangible opportunity. The now identified wallet addresses are new surveillance targets. They enable authorities to freeze or sanction these infrastructures with enhanced precision.

Beyond the Moldovan case, this affair illustrates a larger reality: crypto is progressively redefining geopolitical power balances. By building their own digital financial rails, sanctioned states are gradually freeing themselves from control exerted by traditional Western channels.