Elliptic: A Shadow Network of Crypto Exchanges Processed $10–11bn to Help Russia Evade Sanctions
Blockchain analytics firm Elliptic published findings alleging that a coordinated cluster of crypto exchanges processed roughly $10 billion to $11 billion in transactions that helped Russia bypass international sanctions. Elliptic’s central takeaway is that sanctions evasion can be engineered through everyday product features, not just through sophisticated laundering tactics. The report matters for traders, treasuries, […]
Sberbank Moves to Scale Crypto‑backed Corporate Lending After Bitcoin‑collateral Pilot
Sberbank said its platform held ₽408 billion of digital financial assets in 2025, a 5.6x year-on-year increase, and it is preparing to extend crypto-backed lending to corporate clients. The message is that digital-asset infrastructure is moving from a balance-sheet side project to a product line with measurable scale, anchored by a late-December 2025 pilot using […]
Russia Targets Crypto’s Shadow War Pipeline as WhiteBit Faces Sweeping Ban
Russia moved to label Ukrainian exchange WhiteBIT and its parent W Group as “undesirable organizations,” citing alleged transfers of roughly $11 million to Ukraine since 2022, including about $900,000 reportedly used to buy drones. The designation is being positioned as an effort to cut off a perceived crypto funding corridor while isolating the platform from […]
Russia, US Discuss Bitcoin Mining at Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant
Russian President Vladimir Putin said that Moscow and Washington have discussed joint management of the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP), with the United States reportedly interested in using the site’s output for Bitcoin mining. The narrative frames Bitcoin mining as the focal use case, linking energy supply constraints with digital-asset demand.