TRM Labs reports illegal cryptocurrency transactions reaching $158 billion, with A7A5 stablecoin as the main driving factor

According to a report released by TRM Labs, the illegal cryptocurrency trading volume reached a record high of $158 billion in 2025, a year-on-year increase of 145%. This growth is mainly driven by the ruble stablecoin A7A5, which is pegged to Russia. The report points out that the use of A7A5 reflects that sanctioned countries are turning to specialized encryption tools and moving away from dollar based payment systems.