Moscow targets 17-year-old researcher after report alleges state-backed actors laundered $350 billion via cryptocurrency markets.
Russia’s Foreign Ministry sanctioned a 17-year-old British student for publishing a report alleging $350 billion in cryptocurrency money laundering by state actors, including Moscow. Alexander Browder, founder of the Global Cryptocurrency Laundering Database, was named alongside four other UK nationals in a retaliatory move Wednesday.
The sanctions follow Browder’s March 2026 report, which claimed Russia, Iran, and North Korea exploited crypto markets to evade financial restrictions. The document, published via the Henry Jackson Society, detailed mechanisms used to obscure illicit transactions, targeting retail investors and government-linked entities.
All sanctioned individuals are barred from entering Russia. The move marks the youngest person ever targeted by Moscow’s sanctions regime, underscoring escalating tensions over financial transparency and crypto regulation.