The U.S.-based think tank Middle East Forum has recommended that the U.S. Treasury Department treat cryptocurrency platforms used by Russia and Iran as a single interconnected system, according to a report published by the organization on Oct. 25. The report’s authors said Iran-linked Shelbit, Russia’s A7 network, and Kyrgyzstan-based crypto exchange TokenSpot all use shared infrastructure built around the USDT stablecoin, and that Sberbank, Russia’s largest bank, acts as the key link between the exchanges, as it “coordinates and legalizes” the final transactions.

The report outlined how Sberbank’s role expanded after Vladimir Putin signed Federal Law No. 282-FZ on Aug. 4, allowing Russian companies to settle foreign trade…