Russia Sanctions British Teen Over Cryptocurrency Laundering Database

A 17-year-old British schoolboy has been sanctioned by Russia over a database of cryptocurrency transactions linked to sanctions evasion.

Alexander Browder, a student from an unspecified location, claims that about half of the exchanges he identified were based in Russia, with illicit funds amounting to $350 billion. The teenager's work has not gone unnoticed by Russian authorities, who have imposed personal sanctions on him.

The Kremlin's move is seen as a response to Browder's involvement in circulating information about alleged sanctions evasion activities linked to the country. His father, Sir William Browder, an anti-corruption campaigner and long-time critic of President Vladimir Putin, describes the sanctioning as unprecedented, noting that it marks a new low for the Russian government.

Browder himself is unfazed by the development, stating that he will wear the sanctions as a badge of honor. He believes his work has touched a nerve and that the pressure he and others have been putting on Russia's authorities is having an impact.