Cross-border payments have always been the slow, expensive relative nobody wants at the table. SWIFT transfers take days, correspondent banks take their cut, and currency conversion adds another layer of friction. A7 International is betting there is a better on-ramp, and it runs through a stablecoin.
The Moscow-based fintech platform launched a service on October 13, 2024, that lets senders settle foreign invoices using USDT on the TRON network, while recipients collect the funds as a conventional SWIFT transfer in whatever currency they prefer. No crypto wallet required on the receiving end, no renegotiating with counterparties who have never touched a blockchain.
How the plumbing works
The mechanic is straightforward: a business sends USDT to A7, which converts it and routes the equivalent value through its SWIFT infrastructure to the recipient’s bank account. Supported payout currencies at launch include USD, EUR, CNY, and AED, with additional currencies available by agreement.
The fixed fee is 0.3% per transaction, with processing beginning from one business day. A7 also provides the closing documentation needed for currency control and customs compliance, which matters considerably for companies operating under regulatory scrutiny in cross-border trade.
An AI-driven compliance and routing system sits at the center of the operation, selecting the optimal payment path based on cost, speed, and regulatory requirements. The sender interacts with crypto rails; the recipient interacts with a bank.
CEO Ilan Shor and PSB Bank Chairman Petr Fradkov were both present at the launch event, a detail worth noting because PSB, formally PJSC Bank PSB, is A7’s institutional backer. That relationship gives the platform established banking infrastructure and, presumably, a degree of credibility with the correspondent banking network it needs to execute SWIFT payouts.
The numbers behind the platform
A7 is not a startup testing a hypothesis. Founded in 2024, the company reports approximately 15,000 clients and processes around 2,000 transactions daily. Its infrastructure spans more than 100 countries.
The more striking figure is the platform’s reported role in Russian cross-border trade. According to the company, A7 facilitated roughly 19% of Russian companies’ international settlement volumes in 2025, processing over 10 trillion roubles that year. That is a substantial share of a market that has been under significant strain since Western sanctions limited access to conventional correspondent banking channels.
What this means for businesses and the broader market
For a company treasurer trying to pay a supplier in the UAE or China without waiting days for a correspondent bank chain to clear, the value proposition is fairly concrete. USDT holds its dollar peg, so the sender avoids the exchange rate volatility that comes with holding a local currency during a multi-day transfer window. The 0.3% fee is competitive compared to traditional wire transfer costs, which often stack bank fees, correspondent fees, and conversion spreads on top of each other.
The recipient angle is equally important. A supplier in Germany or a manufacturer in China does not need to understand stablecoins, open a crypto account, or explain USDT to their finance team. They receive euros or yuan in a bank account, the same way they always have.
The service is available in regions where digital assets are legally permitted. The compliance infrastructure, including the AI routing system and the closing documents for customs control, is framed as a feature rather than an afterthought.
Disclosure: This article was edited by Kaye Quema. For more information on how we create and review content, see our Editorial Policy.