About this episode

The episode discusses the experiences of a young individual who uncovered money laundering and faced sanctions from the Russian government.

What were you doing at seventeen? If you were getting into trouble, it might've been with your teacher or parents! How about uncovering money laundering and, in turn, being sanctioned by the Russian government for your discoveries? Our expert host, Marit Rødevand, is joined by Alexander Browder , founder of the Global Cryptocurrency Laundering Database , to ask: " What does it take to get sanctioned by Putin at 17? " The pair discuss: building the world's first open-source database of crypto laundering, a rouble-backed stablecoin allegedly funding Russia's war, and how you find out you've pissed off Putin. Producer: Matthew Dunne-Miles Editor: Dominic Delargy Video: Loïs Dunford Check out our new short-film Yes, Chef! here . ____________________________________ The Laundry explores the complex world of financial crime, anti-money laundering (AML), compliance, sanctions, and global financial regulation. Hosted by Marit Rødevand , Fredrik Riiser , and Robin Lycka , each episode features in-depth conversations with leading experts from banking, fintech, regulatory bodies, and investigative journalism — dissecting headline news, unpacking regulatory trends, and examining the…

People in this episode

Host: Marit Rødevand

Guest: Alexander Browder

Topics covered

• sanctions
• money laundering
• cryptocurrency
• financial crime
• regulation

Keywords

• sanctions
• Putin
• money laundering
• cryptocurrency
• financial crime
• regulation
• open-source database

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Global Cryptocurrency Laundering Database

Places: Russia

More episodes of The Laundry

• E169: Is AMLA *really* on track? · July 16, 2026 · 39 min
• E168: Can following the money disrupt the illegal wildlife trade? · July 9, 2026 · 32 min
• E167: What keeps payments players up at night? · July 2, 2026 · 33 min
• E165: How do we combat the professionalisation of money laundering? · June 17, 2026 · 31 min

Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the The Laundry podcast page.