Russia’s crypto payment system A7 is preparing to expand into Africa, including a planned launch in Togo, while already operating in Nigeria and announcing a presence in Zimbabwe, according to The Bell and Financial Times.

As covered in detail by bne IntelliNews, A7 was first launched in late 2024 by the Russian state “defence bank” Promsvyazbank together with fugitive Moldovan businessman Ilan Shor to facilitate cross-border settlements under sanctions.

The A7A5 token operated by the system was said to be the first stablecoin pegged to the Russian ruble. It appeared to facilitate large-scale financial flows into and out of Russia that have been severely complicated by Western sanctions for the large-scale military invasion of Ukraine.

A7 came under Western restrictions in 2025, and had been explicitly singled out by the EU at the beginning of 2026 in the proposed ban on all cryptocurrency transactions involving Russian entities.

A7 has now reportedly posted a vacancy for a project manager to build operations in Togo from scratch, signalling regional expansion to Africa, according to Financial Times.

According to the company’s own data, up to 19% of Russia’s foreign trade settlements are processed through A7. 

Analysts at the UK-based Centre for Information Resilience, cited by The Bell, said the African expansion may form part of a broader Kremlin strategy to integrate financial tools into its political presence on the continent, particularly in countries that have experienced military coups.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov presented A7 at the Russia-Africa forum in December as a payment solution capable of operating “in any country in the world and in any currency,” according to The Bell.