A 17-year-old British student who investigated an alleged Russian-backed cryptocurrency network has been sanctioned by Russia after publishing a report on the operation.
Alexander Browder was sanctioned by Russia’s Foreign Ministry on Wednesday. Moscow accused him of spreading “defamatory speculations and false information.” As a result, Browder and four other British citizens are now banned from entering Russia.
Rather than being upset by the move, the teenager told The Moscow Times that he saw it as recognition of his work. “A badge of honour,” Browder said, adding that he had “exposed their Achilles’ heel.”
Teen’s Crypto investigation lands him on Russia’s sanctions list
Browder believes he was targeted because of a report he wrote for the Henry Jackson Society think tank. In the report, he examined how Russia has been using cryptocurrency networks to get around Western sanctions imposed after the invasion of Ukraine. Russia has dismissed the report as “disinformation.”
Browder’s investigation focused on an “illicit finance hydra,” a complex network helping Russia move money despite restrictions. The A7 network was a key focus of his report, which he identified as a key part of the wider system. His findings later helped push British authorities to take action against parts of the crypto system linked to Moscow.
A7 is a Russia-linked financial and crypto operation that British officials say uses Kyrgyzstan’s banking system to move funds in ways that help support Russia’s war effort. In May, the UK responded with a new sanctions package targeting the network, saying it had played a role in moving money connected to Moscow’s military financing.
Stablecoin linked to Russia under scrutiny
A7A5 is a ruble-pegged stablecoin launched by Russian state defence lender Promsvyazbank and Ilan Shor, a fugitive Moldovan banker convicted in a major fraud case in Moldova.
The token has reportedly been used for international transactions that bypass sanctions on Russia. By early 2026, its turnover was said to have reached $100 billion.
Browder said one aspect of the case stood out to him. “What I find really shocking is that Shor, the mastermind behind the scheme, has gifted the Kyrgyz president a luxury jet,” he said.
The Kyrgyz government has not commented on allegations that Shor leased a jet to President Sadyr Japarov. The claim was first reported by the Moldovan news agency IPN in September last year.
British lawmakers pushed for action
According to Browder, his report sparked concern among British lawmakers. “On the back of my report, 26 senior MPs and Lords in the UK wrote to the UK Foreign Secretary to sanction the enablers within Kyrgyzstan, and just last week the UK did sanction many of those involved in this cryptocurrency operation,” Browder told the Moscow Times.
He argued that these crypto networks have become a crucial source of funding for Moscow. “So it’s clear that this is one of the main ways Russia is able to sustain their war of aggression, and it’s clear that it’s one of their main financial lifelines.”
Alexander Browder is the son of well-known Kremlin critic and financier Bill Browder. But he believes younger people are often better positioned to understand the rapidly changing crypto world. “What I discovered when I started my project a year and a half ago is that, quite frankly, the senior people are dinosaurs in this world,” he said.
He added that many parts of illicit crypto finance have not received enough attention. “There’s this whole area [of illicit finance] which hasn’t been properly exposed and hasn’t been talked about as much, so I made it my mission to take down these bad actors.”
Hope for tougher action in Europe
According to Browder, one of the biggest problems for governments is that cryptocurrencies can move across borders almost instantly. Even when one network is shut down, another can quickly take its place.
Despite the challenges, Browder believes Europe may finally be moving toward stronger action against crypto networks linked to Russia. The European Union recently announced a crackdown on crypto activities as part of its 20th package of sanctions against Russia.
In announcing the travel ban, Russia’s Foreign Ministry accused British political elites of encouraging “Russophobia,” damaging Russia’s international image and supporting anti-Russian sanctions. It warned that more entry bans could follow.
Browder said Russia’s decision has not changed his plans. “The sanctions did not intimidate me, but it tells me that we touched a nerve. My work touched a nerve for Putin, and it’s clear that I’m looking in the right place,” he said. He ended with a direct message for Moscow: “My message for Moscow is simple: I’m not backing down.”