Alexander Browder, the teenage founder of the Global Cryptocurrency Laundering Database, has been sanctioned by the Russian government after contributing to a Henry Jackson Society report on the use of cryptocurrency in illicit finance and sanctions evasion.
Schoolboy Researcher Sanctioned by Russia After Crypto Report Findings
4 June 2026 - 16:10 CEST
Browder also provided evidence to the UK Parliament’s House of Lords Financial Services Regulation Committee in March. He highlighted the role of the stablecoin A7A5 and its links to sanctioned Russian institutions.
Travel ban
The Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs accused Browder of contributing to "hostile narratives aimed at discrediting the Russian financial system." He has been barred from entry into Russia, as have several other individuals connected to critical reporting on the country, including journalist Catherine Belton, and people linked to humanitarian projects.
Browder told The Times he had no plans to visit Russia, saying, "My work is situated in places where there is the rule of law and democratic process."
A7A5, Justin Sun connection
Browder’s report examined how stablecoins such as A7A5 – which offer lower volatility than Bitcoin – are being used for sanctions evasion and money laundering. He identified links between its issuer A7, Moldovan oligarch Ilan Shor and the Russian state-owned bank Promsvyazbank.
The UK government sanctioned A7 in May 2026. The report also touched on Huobi Global, which rebranded to HTX in 2023. HTX has close ties to Justin Sun, the founder of the Tron blockchain and a major figure in the crypto industry.
Family connections
Alexander Browder’s father, Sir Bill Browder, is a financier and activist known for his work supporting the Magnitsky sanctions regime. Alexander's work now places him within a longer-running effort to use financial transparency and sanctions tools to challenge Russian corruption and state abuse.
Russia has previously sought Bill Browder's arrest through Interpol because of his campaigning work and efforts to expose illicit Russian financial networks.
