Russia targets British 17-year-old for alleging digital assets were skirting sanctions
Alexander Browder says Russia has targeted him after he accused officials of using the ruble-pegged A7A5 stablecoin to evade sanctions linked to the war in Ukraine. He said his Global Cryptocurrency Laundering Database work led to him being “sanctioned by an authoritarian regime for uncovering corruption.” In a March report, he claimed A7A5 was backed by deposits from Russian lender Promsvyazban and helped convert sanctioned funds into cash through exchange channels. He argued Western governments should pressure the exchanges and countries enabling those conversions. A recent CertiK report said A7A5 processed more than $110 billion in onchain transactions. EU officials sanctioned the token in October 2025, saying it was designed to bypass restrictions on Russia’s economy. Browder also said Russia’s reaction shows he “touched a raw nerve,” and reports suggest he may be the youngest person sanctioned by Russia.
