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Russian regulators have rolled out a route to unblock bank accounts tied to crypto trading. Many customers report sudden card limits after peer-to-peer crypto transfers. Banks often flag those payments as suspicious or even block remote banking, even when customers trade lawfully.
The Bank of Russia and the Interior Ministry launched the procedure across the country on December 1, officials said. Vadim Uvarov, the central bank’s Information Security Chief, described it at the Antifraud Russia conference. Customers can file a request through their bank or directly with the regulator.
The central bank can share case references with the local police unit handling a complaint. Applicants can then give explanations to investigators and seek a pre-trial resolution. Uvarov said the regulator approves only a small share of appeals.
Russia’s payment rules rely on a central database of unauthorized transfers and suspected “droppers.” Banks submit data to the Bank of Russia, and the regulator updates the list. Since July 25, 2024, banks must pause some transfers for two days when the recipient details match the database. The rule aims to stop stolen money from moving again.
Automated monitoring adds another layer of restrictions for retail clients. Systems tend to flag many small transfers, fast repeats, and circular payments between accounts. Those patterns also appear in ruble-to-crypto exchanges, especially on P2P markets. Uvarov has said the regulator rejects most removal requests because it sees many entries as justified.
Officials say the Bank of Russia receives up to 1,000 complaints each day. Many come from customers aged 15 to 24, regulators say. The central bank says it will refine filters and remove mistaken entries.
Outside Russia, sanctions agencies and analysts keep tracking crypto networks linked to cross-border trade. Chainalysis has described the ruble-backed token A7A5 as part of a narrow “shadow” payments ecosystem.
The firm reported more than $51 billion in A7A5 processing through late July and noted heavier activity on business days. Chainalysis also said trading concentrates on a small group of Russia-linked services.
In August 2025, the US Treasury sanctioned A7A5-linked firms, including Old Vector and Grinex. The department said the sanctioned exchange Garantex shifted customer deposits to Grinex after the March 2025 disruptions. It also said the structure lets customers regain access to frozen value through A7A5.
OCCRP reported that Garantex reappeared through successor platforms and offshore networks. Global Ledger has reported new wallets that held over $34 million and paid out at least $25 million.
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