⚠ Assessed Operator with Active Sanctions : Hero Module
UK authorities (FCDO) named ABCeX (the trading name of Nueva Cryptologia) as linked to Sergey Mendeleev when they designated the platform on 26 May 2026. Mendeleev, a co-founder of the sanctioned exchange Garantex, was separately designated by the U.S. Treasury (OFAC) on 14 August 2025. He has publicly denied founding ABCeX; the operational link is an analytic assessment supported by government and vendor reporting, not a court finding.
Sergey Mendeleev
Garantex co-founder : assessed figure behind ABCeX
RoleAssessed key figure in ABCeX management; founder/controller of Exved and InDeFi Bank
NationalityRussian
Assessed locationRussia / UAE (not in custody)
OFAC statusDesignated 14 Aug 2025 (Garantex executive; Exved, InDeFi Bank network)
UK linkFCDO ties ABCeX to Mendeleev in 26 May 2026 designation rationale
Self-descriptionPublicly denies founding ABCeX
ConfidenceCREDIBLE (operational tie); CONFIRMED (OFAC designation as Garantex executive)
OFAC Designated At Large
Nueva Cryptologia, S.A.S. de C.V.
d.b.a. ABCex : sanctioned legal entity
TypeCorporate registrant of the ABCeX platform
RegistrationEl Salvador (Avenida La Revolucion, Plaza Presidente, Level 6, Local 1)
Websiteabcex.io
UK statusDesignated 26 May 2026, Russia (Sanctions) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019
Stated basisMaterial services to sanctioned exchanges Garantex and Grinex
OFAC / EUNot directly designated as of June 2026 (EU 21st package proposed, pending)
ConfidenceCONFIRMED (UK designation; entity name and registration)
UK Designated Operational
01

Executive Summary and Exchange Overview

Total Crypto Processed
$11B+
Cumulative cryptoassets processed (Elliptic, Feb 2026)
Bilateral Sanctioned Exposure
$355M
With UK-sanctioned + A7 entities since 2023 (TRM Labs)
Flow to Aifory Pro
$175.2M
$168.7M inbound to Aifory; ABCeX = 96% of Aifory sanctioned inflows (TRM)
Flow to Garantex
$133.4M
ABCeX = Garantex 3rd-largest on-chain counterparty (TRM)
Physical Offices
37
Crypto-to-cash offices in Russia; 30,000+ users in year one (Phemex)
UK Designation
26 May 2026
First UK use of Reg 17A against a crypto platform (FCDO)
Overall Assessment
ABCeX is a ruble-centric crypto-fiat exchange that emerged in late 2023 and scaled rapidly through 2024 to 2025 as an order-book plus peer-to-peer (P2P) on/off-ramp with extensive physical cash infrastructure in Russia. Blockchain-intelligence vendors place it at the center of the post-Garantex sanctions-evasion ecosystem: Elliptic reports it has processed at least $11 billion in cryptoassets, and TRM Labs identifies it as Garantex's third-largest on-chain counterparty and the dominant source of inflows to the high-risk exchange Aifory Pro. The Perplexity research draft characterized ABCeX as "the largest unsanctioned exchange" in Elliptic's network. That framing is now outdated: on 26 May 2026 the United Kingdom designated ABCeX (legal entity Nueva Cryptologia, S.A.S. de C.V.) under the Russia sanctions regime, citing material services to the sanctioned exchanges Garantex and Grinex. Its assessed operating figure, Garantex co-founder Sergey Mendeleev, was designated by OFAC in August 2025. The exchange remains operational and, per Kharon, is extending its reach by white-labeling its technology to secondary exchanges (Ural.Ex, AWX). State nexus is assessed at TOLERATED SAFE HARBOR, edging toward PROBABLE COOPERATION, with no evidence of direct state control.
Service typeCrypto-fiat exchange: order-book + P2P ruble-to-crypto trading, physical cash desks, futures and margin, cryptomat hardware
Legal entityNueva Cryptologia, Sociedad Por Acciones Simplificada de Capital Variable (S.A.S. de C.V.), d.b.a. ABCex Confirmed [UK FCDO]
Aliases / brandingABCEX, ABCeX; marketed as "crypto-fiat exchange" and "P2P arbitrage exchange No. 1"; brand ambassador Khabib Nurmagomedov
Entity registration jurisdictionEl Salvador (Nueva Cryptologia S.A.S. de C.V.) Confirmed. Secondary veneer: Tbilisi Technology Park free industrial zone, Georgia (Google Play app listing) Credible
Infrastructure hosting jurisdictionNot publicly mapped; primary domain abcex.io. Customer-facing operations anchored in Russia (offices, cash desks, cryptomats) Credible
Assessed operator locationRussia (Moscow, Federation Tower). Assessed figure Sergey Mendeleev (Russian), assessed in Russia/UAE Credible
Operational periodEmerged late 2023; rapid expansion 2024 to 2025; futures and margin launched January 2026; operational as of June 2026
Volume (cumulative)At least $11B in cryptoassets processed (Elliptic, Feb 2026). Do not average across vendors: TRM reports $355M bilateral exposure to the UK-sanctioned + A7 set since 2023 (a counterparty-specific figure, not total throughput)
Geographic footprint37 crypto-to-cash offices in Russia; presence in Kyrgyzstan; Russia/CIS-centric user base
OFAC designationEntity: not designated as of June 2026 Confirmed. Assessed operator Mendeleev: designated 14 Aug 2025 Confirmed
UK designationDesignated 26 May 2026, Russia (Sanctions) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019 Confirmed [UK FCDO]
EU designationNot individually listed as of June 2026; EU 21st sanctions package (proposed 9 June 2026) includes transaction bans on 11 crypto platforms (adoption pending) Credible
State nexus tierTOLERATED SAFE HARBOR (edging toward PROBABLE COOPERATION); no DIRECT CONTROL evidence
StatusSanctioned (UK, 26 May 2026); operational; part of post-Garantex reconstitution
Blockchain analytics coverageElliptic and TRM Labs (entity-specific reporting); Kharon (corporate-network); TI-Russia (cryptolaundromat)
02

Lineage and Organizational Heritage

Part of the Post-Garantex Successor Ecosystem

Key Finding
ABCeX is best understood not as a formal rebrand of a single predecessor but as a node in the successor ecosystem that absorbed flows after enforcement against Garantex. Three evidentiary pillars connect it to the Garantex lineage: (1) shared physical infrastructure, an office in Moscow's Federation Tower previously occupied by Garantex; (2) confirmed on-chain interplay, with ABCeX assessed as Garantex's third-largest on-chain counterparty and a relationship dating to October 2023, well before the March 2025 Garantex takedown; and (3) a shared human-capital tie through Sergey Mendeleev, the Garantex co-founder UK authorities link to ABCeX. Confirmed (infrastructure, on-chain); Credible (operator tie) [Elliptic, TRM, Kharon, UK FCDO]

Evidentiary Pillars

PillarEvidenceConfidence
Shared physical infrastructure ABCeX operates from Moscow's Federation Tower, a location previously occupied by sanctioned Garantex. Kharon notes the tower also hosts/hosted Aifory Pro, Garantex, and VTB Bank. CONFIRMED
Elliptic; Kharon
On-chain interplay TRM identifies ABCeX as Garantex's third-largest on-chain counterparty; relationship began October 2023. $133.4M bilateral with Garantex. Elliptic reports significant ABCeX flows to Garantex and Aifory Pro. CONFIRMED
TRM Labs; Elliptic
Human-capital tie (Mendeleev) UK FCDO links ABCeX to Garantex co-founder Sergey Mendeleev. TRM notes ABCeX's "historic ties to Garantex co-founder Sergey Mendeleev." Mendeleev publicly denies founding ABCeX. CREDIBLE
UK FCDO; TRM; FinTelegram
USDT cluster interplay (Arvix/Exved) TI-Russia reports "dynamic financial interplay between Arvix.pro (ABCEX), Garantex, and Grinex," with continuous USDT flows across the cluster. Now partially corroborated by the broader Mendeleev/Exved nexus. CREDIBLE Single Source
TI-Russia (cryptolaundromat) for the specific Arvix interplay

Operator Profiles

Resolution of a Prior Intelligence Gap
The Perplexity draft recorded "no public naming of founders, beneficial owners, or core operators" as an explicit gap. Follow-on research partially resolves this. UK and U.S. government action plus vendor reporting now attach a named, sanctioned individual to the platform.
IndividualDetailsLegal status
Sergey Mendeleev Co-founder of Garantex; founder/controller of Exved and InDeFi Bank (with Alexander Lebedev, former KGB/SVR officer). Assessed key figure behind ABCeX management; publicly denies founding it. Nationality: Russian. Assessed location: Russia/UAE. OFAC designated 14 Aug 2025 (as Garantex executive; Exved, InDeFi Bank). UK ties ABCeX to him 26 May 2026. Not in custody. Confirmed (OFAC); Credible (ABCeX tie)
No public naming of ABCeX's day-to-day management team, beneficial owners beyond the assessed Mendeleev tie, or board/C-suite. Mendeleev's exact role (owner vs. technical/operational figure) is not court-established.

Disputed Assessments

Credible Mendeleev's public denial of founding ABCeX is the principal disputed point. The analytic position taken here treats the operational tie as CREDIBLE (single strong government source plus vendor corroboration) rather than CONFIRMED, because no charging document or court finding has adjudicated his specific role at ABCeX. The OFAC designation of Mendeleev as a Garantex executive is CONFIRMED and independent of the ABCeX question. [UK FCDO, OFAC, TRM, FinTelegram]

03

Service Model and Business Operations

Exchange Mechanics and Product Set

Confirmed ABCeX runs a hybrid centralized-exchange plus P2P model anchored in ruble flows. Elliptic confirms it "facilitates both order-book and P2P ruble-to-cryptoasset trading." Marketed assets include USDT and "ruble code"; users can top up by bank card or cash. In January 2026 the platform launched bitcoin futures and margin trading, moving beyond basic spot/P2P into leveraged products. [Elliptic, Bits.media]

Credible ABCeX positions itself for P2P arbitrage ("P2P arbitrage exchange No. 1") and has deployed what it claims is the world's first no-fee "cryptomat" hardware for free crypto deposits and withdrawals, with stated plans to expand to other Russian cities. [Bits.media]

Credible Per Kharon, ABCeX also operates a white-label model: it lets secondary exchanges build their own storefronts on its technology, "allowing new entities to offer the same services for which ABCEX was sanctioned." This is a resilience and reconstitution mechanism, not just a retail product. [Kharon]

KYC/AML Posture: Stated Policy vs Observed Behavior

Stated Policy vs Observed Behavior (Schema Rule)
Stated policy: ABCeX does not foreground identity verification or AML controls in its public marketing; no detailed KYC/AML statement is quoted in major coverage. Marketing emphasizes ease of use, P2P without banks, cash desks, and cryptomats. Credible

Observed behavior (sourced to vendor/government framing, not the exchange's claims): Elliptic reports ABCeX "utilises a wallet obfuscation strategy to prevent cryptoasset transactions from being linked to the service," a technique inconsistent with transparency or effective monitoring. The UK designated the entity for providing material services to sanctioned exchanges (Garantex, Grinex). The gap between an absent/unstated compliance posture and observed obfuscation plus large flows to sanctioned counterparties is the primary analytical finding. Confirmed [Elliptic, UK FCDO]
No law-enforcement charging document detailing specific KYC/AML failures (thresholds, Travel Rule non-compliance, monitoring gaps) exists in open sources. The UK designation is an administrative action; its underlying evidentiary file is not public.

Fiat Rails (Schema Rule: Must Be Addressed)

Credible ABCeX's fiat on/off ramps are predominantly physical and P2P rather than banking-rail: 37 crypto-to-cash offices across Russia (plus presence in Kyrgyzstan) for cash deposits and withdrawals; cryptomat hardware for cash payouts; and P2P integration for card-based and local transfers exploited by arbitrageurs. [Phemex, Bits.media]

Banking relationships: No specific banks or payment processors are publicly named as ABCeX counterparties; flows are described generically as RUB and card payments. No documented de-risking or bank-termination events appear in open sources. This subsection is included per schema even though no named bank relationship is documented. Credible

Licensing and Regulatory Standing

Confirmed The platform's legal entity, Nueva Cryptologia, S.A.S. de C.V., is registered in El Salvador. A secondary Georgian free-industrial-zone address appears on the Google Play app listing. No license number or named regulator is cited for either jurisdiction; both read as registration veneers for a Russia-centric operation rather than evidence of substantive licensed supervision. There is no evidence of EU or UK licensing; the platform is now UK-designated rather than UK-licensed. [UK FCDO, Google Play]

04

Technical Infrastructure and Platform Footprint

Domains, Hosting, APIs

Confirmed Primary domain: abcex.io, with mobile subdomain m.abcex.io used for onboarding and referral flows. The platform advertises dedicated API support via Telegram (@ABCEX_API_support), indicating API endpoints for market-maker and arbitrage clients. [UK FCDO, ABCeX Telegram]

Hosting providers, CDN, and SSL/infrastructure fingerprinting are not publicly reported; WHOIS/DNS-side mapping of abcex.io and any successor domains is an open task.

Mobile Apps and Bots

Credible Android app "ABCEX: Buy & Sell Crypto" is listed on Google Play in Russian and English (the English listing carries the Tbilisi FIZ address). A Russian-language Telegram channel (@abcex_io) advertises a trading link, official bot (@ABCEX_IO_BOT), tech support (@ABCEX_support1, @ABCEX_SUPPORT_BOT), regional support (@ABCEX_City_support), API support, and a separate desk-to-desk OTC bot (@abcex_exchange_bot). [Google Play, ABCeX Telegram]

Architecture Hints

Analyst Inference The feature set (order book, P2P, futures, margin, cryptomat integration, white-label provisioning to third parties) implies a proprietary platform rather than a low-cost turnkey white-label. Elliptic's note on wallet obfuscation suggests an internal wallet-management system that separates user deposit addresses from exchange hot wallets via intermediate hops. Public confirmation of the stack is not available. [Elliptic, Bits.media]

Resilience After Disruption

Confirmed ABCeX's relevant disruption to date is the March 2024 Crocus-linked raids (see Section 08), after which it resumed operations and subsequently expanded (futures, margin, cryptomats). Its white-label provisioning to Ural.Ex and AWX is a structural resilience feature: it lets the underlying technology and client base persist under new storefronts even as the ABCeX brand itself attracts enforcement. [Kommersant, Kharon, Bits.media]

05

Financial Intelligence and On-Chain Analysis

Overall Volume and Role

Volume Sourcing (Schema Rule: Cite Source and Methodology; Do Not Average)
Elliptic (Feb 2026): ABCeX "has processed at least $11 billion in cryptoassets" (cumulative throughput).
TRM Labs (May 2026): $355 million bilateral exposure to the UK-sanctioned + A7-network set since 2023 (a counterparty-specific figure, not total throughput): $175.2M with Aifory Pro, $133.4M with Garantex, $38.1M with Rapira.
These figures measure different things (total processed vs. sanctioned-counterparty bilateral exposure) and are presented separately, not combined.

Phase 1: Receipt (Who Deposits and From Where)

Confirmed Elliptic frames ABCeX as serving sanctioned and high-risk Russia-centric actors. TRM data shows ABCeX sits at the center of the post-Garantex ecosystem with inbound flows from the broader Russia-linked network. Public reporting does not break out criminal vs. licit share; the $11B figure is total processed value, not strictly illicit. [Elliptic, TRM]

Phase 2: Layering (Internal Mechanics, Obfuscation)

Confirmed Elliptic: "ABCeX utilises a wallet obfuscation strategy to prevent cryptoasset transactions from being linked to the service," implying service-owned wallets not clearly branded as exchange addresses plus inter-wallet hops to complicate attribution. [Elliptic]

Credible Single Source TI-Russia describes "dynamic financial interplay" among Arvix.pro (ABCEX), Garantex, and Grinex with continuous USDT flows, implying multi-step routing across services for layering. No public address lists or graphs accompany this claim. [TI-Russia]

Phase 3: Extraction (Where Funds Go)

Confirmed To other exchanges: TRM quantifies ABCeX's outbound role as the dominant source of inflows to Aifory Pro ($168.7M inbound to Aifory; ABCeX = 96% of Aifory's sanctioned-counterparty inflows), plus $133.4M bilateral with Garantex and $38.1M with Rapira. This positions ABCeX as an upstream hub feeding downstream nodes, not a terminal settlement venue. To fiat: physical cash extraction via the 37 offices and cryptomats, plus P2P RUB payouts. [TRM, Elliptic, Phemex]

Designated Addresses and Risk Status

Confirmed No OFAC-designated ABCeX wallet addresses exist (the entity is not on the OFAC SDN list). The UK 26 May 2026 designation lists the legal entity and website but, in public materials reviewed, does not enumerate specific wallet addresses. El Salvador (registration) and Georgia (app-listing veneer) are not on FATF black/grey lists; the relevant exposure is jurisdictional arbitrage, not host-country blacklisting. [OFAC, UK FCDO]

06

Client Profile and Criminal Use

Crimeware Verticals by Evidence Tier

VerticalEvidenceConfidence
Sanctions evasion / state-aligned flows Elliptic, UK FCDO, and TRM all frame ABCeX as core post-Garantex sanctions-evasion infrastructure, converting rubles to crypto for cross-border movement shielded from banking oversight. CONFIRMED
Terrorism-financing investigation (Crocus) March 2024 raids of ABCeX and Beribit in Federation Tower in a case about financing the Crocus City Hall attack. TRM states ABCeX is "under investigation for facilitating transactions linked to the March 2024 Crocus City Hall terrorist attack." No charges against the exchange itself published. CREDIBLE
Channel under investigation, not confirmed culpability
Ransomware / darknet / carding / fraud No open-source case names ABCeX as a specific cash-out venue for a named ransomware family or darknet market. Given its role, location, and counterparties, such use is highly likely but not individually evidenced in public reporting. ANALYST INFERENCE

Geographic Patterns

Confirmed ABCeX is Russia-centric in operations (offices, cryptomats, RUB focus) with CIS extension (Kyrgyzstan), making it a natural hub for Russian and CIS-based actors. There is no sign in open sources of meaningful U.S./EU retail targeting; non-CIS usage is likely incidental or for cross-jurisdictional flows. [Phemex, Elliptic, Bits.media]

High-Profile Flows

Confirmed The best-evidenced high-profile flows are inter-exchange: ABCeX to Aifory Pro ($175.2M), to Garantex ($133.4M), and to Rapira ($38.1M) per TRM. These are the concrete, quantified criminal-adjacent flows; individual victim-level cases are not public. [TRM]

07

State Nexus Assessment

Jurisdictional Separation (Schema Rule: Three Jurisdictions)

Jurisdiction typeAssessmentConfidence
1. Entity registration El Salvador: Nueva Cryptologia, S.A.S. de C.V. (Avenida La Revolucion, Plaza Presidente). Secondary veneer: Tbilisi Technology Park FIZ, Georgia (Google Play listing). CONFIRMED (El Salvador) / CREDIBLE (Georgia veneer)
2. Infrastructure hosting Not publicly mapped. Domain abcex.io; customer-facing operations (offices, cash desks, cryptomats) anchored in Russia. Hosting provider and server location unknown. CREDIBLE (Russia-anchored ops) / UNKNOWN (specific hosting)
3. Assessed operator location Russia (Moscow, Federation Tower). Assessed figure Sergey Mendeleev (Russian), assessed in Russia/UAE. CREDIBLE

State Nexus Tier: TOLERATED SAFE HARBOR (edging toward PROBABLE COOPERATION)

Assessment
Indicators for Tolerated Safe Harbor: ABCeX operates openly in a high-visibility Moscow location (Federation Tower) historically associated with Garantex and other sanctioned financial entities; it handles large volumes including flows to/from sanctioned entities yet has not been shut down domestically; the 2024 raids did not produce public closure.

Indicators edging toward Probable Cooperation: Continued operation after the 2024 raids and after Elliptic/UK exposure, without visible Russian enforcement, suggests at least tacit acceptance. The platform's integration into the broader A7/Garantex-successor structure (which has state-linked elements via Promsvyazbank and sanctioned oligarch Ilan Shor) raises the possibility of infrastructural support for state resilience under sanctions. This A7 linkage is network-level context; direct state tasking of ABCeX is not evidenced.

Evidence against Direct Control: No open-source evidence that FSB, Rosfinmonitoring, or other state organs own or manage ABCeX; no named officials or state entities identified as shareholders.

Negative Evidence (What Would Be Expected if Higher Nexus Existed)

If ABCeX were under DIRECT CONTROL or PROBABLE COOPERATION, one would expect indicators such as documented state shareholding, named intelligence-officer involvement, procurement or defense-payment tasking, or protection signaling (e.g., enforcement immunity letters). None of these are present in open sources. The 2024 raids cut against a strong-protection reading, although their inconclusive outcome is also consistent with tolerated operation. The assessment therefore stops at TOLERATED SAFE HARBOR with movement indicators, not PROBABLE COOPERATION. Analyst Inference

08

Law Enforcement and Regulatory Response

Sanctions

AuthorityActionStatus
UK (FCDO / OFSI) Designated Nueva Cryptologia S.A.S. de C.V. (d.b.a. ABCex) on 26 May 2026 under the Russia (Sanctions) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019, for material services to sanctioned exchanges Garantex and Grinex. Part of an 18-designation package (incl. Huobi/HTX, Exmo, Bitpapa, Rapira, Aifory Pro, A7, A7A5 issuer). First UK use of Reg 17A (correspondent-banking/payment-processing ban) against crypto platforms. CONFIRMED (asset freeze in force)
OFAC (U.S.) ABCeX entity not designated as of June 2026. Assessed operator Sergey Mendeleev designated 14 Aug 2025 (as Garantex executive; Exved and InDeFi Bank network). CONFIRMED (entity not listed; operator listed)
EU ABCeX not individually listed. EU 21st sanctions package proposed 9 June 2026 includes transaction bans on 11 Russia-linked crypto platforms; adoption and entity-specific scope pending. CREDIBLE (proposed, not yet adopted)
FinCEN No Section 311 action or advisory specific to ABCeX in open sources. CONFIRMED (negative evidence)

Raids and Investigations

Oct 2023
ABCeX on-chain relationship with Garantex begins, per TRM, well before Garantex's takedown. Confirmed [TRM]
Mar 2024
Russian security services raid ABCeX and Beribit offices in Federation Tower in a case about financing the Crocus City Hall attack (RBC, SHOT, Baza). Kommersant later reports searches ended; ABCeX resumed operations. Confirmed [RBC, Kommersant]
Aug 2025
OFAC designates Sergey Mendeleev (and Exved, InDeFi Bank, Grinex network) as part of the Garantex-successor crackdown. Confirmed [OFAC]
Feb 2026
Elliptic publishes its Russia-linked sanctions-evasion report naming ABCeX ($11B processed; flows to Garantex and Aifory Pro). Confirmed [Elliptic]
26 May 2026
UK designates ABCeX (Nueva Cryptologia) and 17 other entities/individuals; asset freeze in force. Confirmed [UK FCDO, TRM]
9 Jun 2026
Kharon reports ABCeX continues operating and white-labeling its tech (Ural.Ex, AWX) despite designation. EU proposes 21st package (11 crypto platforms). Credible [Kharon]

Post-Sanction Reconstitution Assessment (Schema Rule)

Reconstitution: Primary Output, Not a Footnote
ABCeX occupies both sides of the reconstitution dynamic. (1) As a successor: it is itself part of the post-Garantex reconstitution, absorbing ruble-onramp function after the March 2025 Garantex takedown (TRM: flows to the successor set, including ABCeX, grew roughly tenfold post-takedown). (2) As a future reconstitution risk: because the UK action is an asset-freeze designation rather than an infrastructure seizure, ABCeX remains operational, and its white-label provisioning to Ural.Ex (Yekaterinburg) and AWX Solutions FZ LLC (Dubai, assessed rebrand of US-sanctioned Crypto Explorer DMCC/AWEX) is a built-in continuity mechanism: the same services can persist under new storefronts. The relevant indicators to monitor are new brand registrations on ABCeX technology, Telegram channel migration, and domain/infrastructure continuity. Credible [TRM, Kharon]
09

Connected Entities and Ecosystem Relationships

Two-Tier Model (Applied to Every Entry)
Tier 1, Transaction confidence: how confident that funds transited ABCeX (CONFIRMED / CREDIBLE / ANALYST INFERENCE), backed by on-chain evidence where available.
Tier 2, Facilitation assessment: an analytical characterization of ABCeX's role: Active facilitation, Structural enablement, or Incidental processing. The two tiers are independent and never collapsed.
EntityTier 1: Transaction confidenceTier 2: FacilitationVendor coverage
Garantex
Sanctioned exchange; shared Federation Tower
CONFIRMED
TRM: $133.4M bilateral; ABCeX = Garantex's 3rd-largest counterparty; began Oct 2023. Elliptic: significant ABCeX flows to Garantex.
Structural enablement with probable active facilitation
Wallet obfuscation + Mendeleev tie + large flows to a sanctioned exchange exceed incidental overlap.
Corroborating: TRM, Elliptic, Kharon, UK FCDO. None disagreeing.
Aifory Pro
UK-sanctioned high-risk exchange
CONFIRMED
TRM: $175.2M bilateral ($168.7M inbound to Aifory); ABCeX = 96% of Aifory's sanctioned-counterparty inflows. Elliptic corroborates.
Structural enablement
ABCeX is upstream hub feeding Aifory; no evidence of joint ownership. Both UK-designated same day.
Corroborating: TRM, Elliptic. None disagreeing.
Rapira
UK-sanctioned; Georgia-incorporated, Moscow office
CONFIRMED
TRM: $38.1M bilateral with ABCeX. Kharon: shared white-label partner (Ural.Ex).
Structural enablement
Peer node providing redundant ruble-to-crypto pathways; Ural.Ex markets both.
Corroborating: TRM, Kharon. None disagreeing.
Grinex
Sanctioned Garantex successor
CREDIBLE
UK cites ABCeX's "suspected links to Garantex and Grinex." TI-Russia: Arvix/ABCEX-Garantex-Grinex USDT interplay. Single Source for the direct Arvix interplay (TI-Russia)
Structural enablement
Cluster co-participation; direct ABCeX to Grinex flow not separately quantified in public vendor data.
Corroborating: UK FCDO (assertion), TI-Russia. TRM/Elliptic have not published a direct ABCeX to Grinex figure.
Ural.Ex
Yekaterinburg OTC desk; white-label partner
CREDIBLE
Kharon: Ural.Ex markets itself as official partner of ABCeX (and Rapira), running on ABCeX-provisioned tech. Single Source
Active facilitation
Markets sanctions-evasion invoice settlement and EU-export workarounds; ABCeX knowingly powers the storefront.
Corroborating: Kharon. No other vendor has published. Single Source
AWX Solutions FZ LLC
Dubai; assessed rebrand of US-sanctioned Crypto Explorer DMCC/AWEX
ANALYST INFERENCE
Kharon: AWX is a Ural.Ex partner sharing the Yekaterinburg desk and a Federation Tower address; ecosystem-level, not a direct ABCeX flow. Single Source
Structural enablement
Two hops from ABCeX via Ural.Ex; provides UAE off-ramp redundancy. Ukraine-sanctioned (Jul 2025).
Corroborating: Kharon. No other vendor has published. Single Source
Bitpapa
UAE-registered P2P; OFAC/Ukraine/UK sanctioned
ANALYST INFERENCE
Same Elliptic/UK network; no public direct ABCeX to Bitpapa flow figure.
Structural enablement
Co-participant in the sanctions-evasion corridor; no evidence of coordinated operations.
Corroborating (network-level): Elliptic, TRM, UK FCDO. No direct bilateral figure published.
Huobi / HTX
UK-sanctioned global exchange
CREDIBLE
TRM: Huobi is a persistent counterparty to nearly every entity in the UK package incl. the ABCeX successor set ($1.13B to the set post-takedown); ABCeX-specific bilateral not isolated.
Structural enablement
Large-exchange liquidity bridge for the successor set; ABCeX-specific role likely incidental at the bilateral level.
Corroborating: TRM. Huobi/HTX publicly disputes that the sanctioned entity equals its operating brand.
A7 / A7A5 (Old Vector LLC)
UK-sanctioned ruble-stablecoin infrastructure
ANALYST INFERENCE
ABCeX is within the broader UK-sanctioned + A7 set in TRM's analysis; no isolated ABCeX to A7 bilateral published.
Structural enablement
Network-level; A7 has state-linked elements (Promsvyazbank, Ilan Shor). Relevant to Section 07 nexus.
Corroborating (network-level): TRM, UK FCDO.
Beribit
Co-raided Moscow exchange
ANALYST INFERENCE
Joint March 2024 Federation Tower raids; no public on-chain link.
Unknown / Incidental
Plausible overlapping client base; not substantiated in open sources.
Corroborating: RBC, Kommersant (raid co-location only). No on-chain vendor link published.
10

Trajectory Assessment

Market Position and Volume Trends

Confirmed ABCeX is one of the principal platforms that absorbed Garantex's ruble-onramp function. TRM shows flows to the successor set (Rapira, Aifory Pro, Grinex.io, ABCeX, A7, A7A5) grew more than tenfold after the March 2025 Garantex takedown, from $111M in the prior 26 months to $1.13B in the following 14 months. ABCeX sits at the center of that set as Garantex's third-largest historical counterparty and Aifory's dominant inflow source. [TRM, Elliptic]

Disruption Impact

Structural Assessment
The UK designation is the first material enforcement action against ABCeX itself, but it is an asset-freeze (correspondent-banking/payment-processing ban under Reg 17A), not an infrastructure seizure or operator arrest. Its bite is on UK-nexus financial access and counterparty risk, not on ABCeX's domestic Russian operations or its servers. The structural weakness this profile flags is therefore the inverse of a takedown like AudiA6: the human capital (Mendeleev) is in a non-cooperating jurisdiction and at large, and the technology persists under white-label storefronts. Degrading ABCeX requires multilateral designation breadth plus pressure on its fiat-rail and counterparty network, not a single-jurisdiction listing.

Reconstitution Status

ABCeX brand: Operational and expanding. Futures and margin launched Jan 2026; white-label provisioning live (Ural.Ex, AWX). Confirmed

As a successor: Active. Core node in the post-Garantex reconstitution. Confirmed [TRM]

Future reconstitution risk: High. Asset-freeze designation without seizure plus white-label continuity means services can migrate to new storefronts. Credible [Kharon]

Intelligence Gaps

Mendeleev's exact role at ABCeX (owner, technical principal, or namesake tie) is not court-established; he publicly denies founding it.
No public ABCeX wallet-cluster address lists; only aggregate and bilateral counterparty figures are released by Elliptic and TRM.
Hosting providers, CDN, and server locations for abcex.io are not publicly mapped.
No named ransomware-family or darknet-market case ties ABCeX as a specific cash-out venue in public reporting.
No specific bank or payment-processor fiat-rail relationships are documented.
EU 21st-package adoption and whether ABCeX is individually listed is unresolved as of June 2026; OFAC designation of the entity (vs. operator) has not occurred.

Recent Reporting

[9 Jun 2026] Kharon reports ABCeX (alias Nueva Cryptologia) continues operating and white-labeling its technology to Ural.Ex and AWX despite the UK designation; documents the Federation Tower cluster and Khabib Nurmagomedov marketing. [Kharon]

[26 May 2026] UK FCDO designates ABCeX and 17 other entities/individuals (Huobi/HTX, Exmo, Bitpapa, Rapira, Aifory Pro, A7, A7A5 issuer, Eurasian Savings Bank); TRM and Elliptic publish analyses; first UK use of Reg 17A against crypto. [UK FCDO, TRM, Elliptic]

[21 Feb 2026, updated 3 Mar 2026] Elliptic names ABCeX in its Russia-linked sanctions-evasion report: $11B processed, wallet obfuscation, flows to Garantex and Aifory Pro. [Elliptic]

[Jan 2026] ABCeX launches bitcoin futures and margin trading. [Bits.media]

[14 Aug 2025] OFAC designates Sergey Mendeleev (Garantex co-founder) with Exved, InDeFi Bank, and the Grinex network. [OFAC]

[Mar 2024] Russian security services raid ABCeX and Beribit in Federation Tower in the Crocus attack financing case; operations later resume. [RBC, Kommersant]

Sources

  1. Elliptic: Russia-linked cryptocurrency services and sanctions evasion : 21 February 2026 (updated 3 March 2026)
  2. UK FCDO: UK cracks down on backdoor Russian sanctions evasion with tough new measures : 26 May 2026
  3. UK Government: List of Russia sanctions designations, 26 May 2026 (Nueva Cryptologia S.A.S. de C.V., d.b.a. ABCex)
  4. TRM Labs: UK Designates Huobi, Exmo, Bitpapa, and 11 Other Entities for Russian Crypto Sanctions Evasion : 26 May 2026
  5. Kharon: These Crypto Exchanges Are Openly Offering To Help Russians Skirt Sanctions : 9 June 2026
  6. TRM Labs: The Imitation Game: Following Garantex's Takedown : 3 September 2025
  7. U.S. Treasury / OFAC: Sanctions on Garantex successor network and executives (Mendeleev, Mira Serda, Karavatsky) : 14 August 2025
  8. Transparency International Russia: Exved, The Ghost Successor of Garantex (Arvix/ABCEX-Garantex-Grinex interplay) : 2025
  9. FinTelegram: Sergey Mendeleev, Garantex, and Exved compliance report
  10. Phemex: ABCEX opens 37 offices in Russia for crypto-to-cash services
  11. Bits.media: ABCEX launches bitcoin futures and margin trading : January 2026
  12. RBC: Security services conduct searches at crypto exchange (ABCeX, Beribit; Crocus case) : 29 March 2024
  13. Kommersant: Beribit and ABCEX report end of searches at their offices : March 2024
  14. Google Play: ABCEX: Buy & Sell Crypto (Tbilisi FIZ address on English listing)
  15. OFAC Sanctions List Search (checked: ABCeX/Nueva Cryptologia entity not designated as of June 2026)

Profile produced using open-source intelligence. Confidence labels applied per schema: CONFIRMED (multiple independent sources), CREDIBLE (single strong source or multiple weaker sources), ANALYST INFERENCE (logical extrapolation from confirmed facts). Volume figures cited with source and methodology; figures from different vendors and authorities are presented separately, not averaged. Two-tier connected entity model applied throughout Section 09 (Tier 1 transaction confidence + Tier 2 facilitation assessment). Three jurisdictions documented separately per schema. Status: Sanctioned (UK, 26 May 2026); operational; assessed state nexus TOLERATED SAFE HARBOR.