Russia's Secret Billion Dollar Crypto Scheme to Evade Sanctions

How is Russia using crypto to move billions outside the global sanctions system? In this episode, we sit down with Lex Fisun, CEO and Founder of Global Ledger, one of the leading blockchain intelligence and AML analytics firms tracking illicit and state-d crypto flows worldwide. Throughout 2025, Global Ledger followed a series of developments that revealed how Russia built a parallel crypto-based financial system to bypass US and EU sanctions. This included the collapse of the sanctioned exchange Garantex, the rapid emergence of its successor Grinex, and the rise of ruble-backed stablecoins and shadow payment networks designed to keep money moving despite enforcement pressure. We uncover How Russia uses crypto to evade sanctions and move billions Garantex, Grinex, and successor exchange tactics Ruble stablecoins and shadow payment rails USDT’s role in sanctions evasion Law enforcement and regulatory countermeasures The future of crypto in global geopolitics If you want deeper context behind the headlines, drama, politics, hacks, enforcement actions, and the uncomfortable stories shaping crypto behind the scenes, subscribe to our Crypto Insider newsletter: https://beincrypto.com/newsletters/ Timestamps 00:00 Russia, sanctions, and crypto 02:05 First red flags on-chain 04:10 Crypto vs SWIFT 05:50 Garantex explained 06:45 Garantex rebrand 08:55 Who used these exchanges 11:10 A7A5 stablecoin 14:20 Fake volume & wash trading 15:20 Can Bitcoin be sanctioned? 17:55 Do sanctions work? 20:30 Why enforcement fails 22:55 Darknet markets today 25:35 Crypto payments reality 27:35 Crypto Cold War 29:05 What comes next 31:20 Final thoughts ------------------------------------------------------------ BeInCrypto, Your Gateway to Blockchain & Beyond 🚀 BeInCrypto is among the Top 3 global crypto media platforms, delivering daily crypto news, updates, reviews, podcasts, shorts, memes, and analysis. With a team of 150+ people across 60+ countries, we publish in 25+ languages to make blockchain, Bitcoin, altcoins, and Web3 accessible to everyone worldwide. Our mission is to empower your Web3 journey, whether you’re a beginner exploring crypto or an expert seeking reliable insights. We share transparent, trustworthy, and accurate information to help you navigate the future of blockchain, digital assets, NFTs, and DeFi. 🌍 Why Follow BeInCrypto? 🔝 Trusted by 11M+ monthly readers 🌐 25+ languages, 4M+ new users every month 📊 News, Rankings, Learn, Bonus Hunter, Learn-to-Earn, Newsletters & Web3 Jobs 💡 A global team passionate about blockchain education & innovation We are more than a news platform – we build tools and products to help you explore opportunities in Web3 with confidence. 👉 Stay tuned for crypto podcasts, trending shorts, reviews, memes, Bitcoin & Ethereum price updates, altcoin analysis, and Web3 industry insights right here on our channel! 🔗 Explore BeInCrypto 🌐 Website: https://beincrypto.com/ 📰 News: https://beincrypto.com/type/news/ 📊 Rankings: https://beincrypto.com/price/ 📚 Learn: https://beincrypto.com/type/learn/ ------------------------------------------------------------ 📲 Follow Us on Socials 🐦 X (Twitter): https://x.com/beincrypto 📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/beincrypto 📢 Telegram: https://t.me/+U8DQNp4b8Gw3YmZi 🎥 TikTok: http://tiktok.com/@beincrypto 💼 LinkedIn: din.com/company/beincrypto @Beincrypto ✅ Subscribe to BeInCrypto and join millions worldwide learning, exploring, and building in Web3. 🚨 Disclaimer 🚨 Although BeInCrypto aims to inform and educate readers worldwide, it is important to remember that investing in cryptocurrency is risky. Neither this video nor its authors should be held responsible for any investment decisions, and nothing published here should be considered financial advice. We always urge our readers/viewers to do their own research and never invest more than they can afford to lose. Russia crypto sanctions crypto sanctions evasion Russia crypto laundering crypto crime investigation blockchain analytics explained on-chain analytics Global Ledger crypto Garantex exchange Russian crypto exchange stablecoin sanctions USDT money laundering Bitcoin sanctions crypto Cold War crypto geopolitics crypto OTC desks darknet crypto markets crypto money laundering explained sanctions bypass crypto crypto regulation crypto crime podcast #CryptoCrime #RussiaCrypto #BlockchainAnalysis