Quantcast

Economist Hanke: 'Crypto speculation is NOT the source of' Nigeria's economic crisis

Crypto exchange OKX wants to go public on Wall Street
Federal Reserve removes 'reputational risk' from bank examinations in a 'win' against crypto debanking
India wants 30% of your crypto gains, but that’s not the worst part
This payment giant announces a stablecoin for 6 million merchants and 10,000 financial institutions
Bitcoin at $21 million by 2046? Michael Saylor revises his predictions upwards
JPMorgan files trademark application for JPMD, citing multiple blockchain use cases
Geopolitical tensions: Gold soars, Bitcoin hesitates
Bitcoin on the rise, towards a new ATH likely
Gemini, Coinbase expected to secure EU licenses under MiCA — Report
Justin Sun lance une Tron Treasury Company avec le soutien de la famille Trump
Negative Rates Return to Switzerland as U.S. Faces Higher Yields. What Does it Mean for Bitcoin?
300 million euros: The Blockchain Group continues to raise funds to accumulate as many Bitcoins as possible
Quintenz says CFTC will need more funding if tasked with broader crypto oversight
These cryptocurrencies are experiencing a massive price increase!
This project combining stablecoin and Bitcoin (BTC) raises $500 million in less than an hour
Hong Kong's OSL eyes Indonesia expansion with $15 million crypto exchange acquisition
FCA-registered BCP launches British pound stablecoin
Crypto: Ripple's RLUSD stablecoin will now also be used in the United Arab Emirates
Robinhood completes $200 million acquisition of crypto exchange Bitstamp
Changpeng Zhao offers a dark pool-style DEX for invisible crypto orders
End of tariffs? Judge blocks Trump's Liberation Day
The TACO trade is gaining popularity; what is it?
B2B stablecoin payments surge to $36 billion annual pace, survey finds
Russian banks debut crypto products for qualified investors
Reserve Bank of India to roll out new use cases for digital rupee
Bitcoin creator becomes richer than Bill Gates
EU revises growth downwards to 0.9% in 2025, weighed down by Donald Trump's customs duties
United Kingdom: Crypto firms will have to report all customer transactions
Ethereum on the brink of an incredible surge? This expert's bold prediction
DOJ is investigating Coinbase data breach— Report
Economist Hanke: 'Crypto speculation is NOT the source of' Nigeria's economic crisis
Webp hanke
Steve Hanke, professor of applied economics at Johns Hopkins University | independent.org

Steve Hanke, a professor of applied economics at Johns Hopkins University, has attributed Nigeria's economic instability to the policies implemented by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), including significant increases in the country's money supply. Contrary to some perspectives, Hanke insists that cryptocurrency is not responsible for Nigeria's economic challenges.

"With the naira PLUNGING & inflation SURGING, NGA has hit the PANIC BUTTON – recently forcing Binance to halt its operations," said Hanke, according to X. "Crypto speculation is NOT the source of NGA's problems."

According to Johns Hopkins University's website, Hanke is the founder and co-director of its Institute for Applied Economics, Global Health, and the Study of Business Enterprise. He also holds senior fellow positions at both the Cato Institute and the Independent Institute. His previous roles include serving as a senior economist on President Reagan’s Council of Economic Advisers and as a senior adviser to the Joint Economic Committee of the U.S. Congress.

Get the Newsletter
Sign-up to receive weekly round up of news from Crypto Republique
By submitting, you agree to our Privacy Policy and Terms of Service. By providing your phone number you are opting in and consenting to receive recurring SMS/MMS messages, including automated texts, to that number from our short code. Msg & data rates may apply. Reply HELP for help, STOP to end. SMS opt-in will not be sold, rented, or shared.

The Wall Street Journal reported that Nigerians grappling with soaring inflation and a devalued currency have increasingly turned to cryptocurrency as a means to safeguard their savings. However, in February, access to several crypto platforms was restricted by the Nigerian government. This included Binance, recognised as the world's largest crypto exchange. Following this action, two Binance executives were detained during their visit to meet with government officials in Nigeria. These executives - American citizen Tigran Gambaryan and Nadeem Anjarwalla who holds UK and Kenyan nationality - remain in detention without any formal charges against them. They are reportedly being held under guard with limited access to their phones. Gambaryan's wife has stated that she has been able to maintain minimal communication with her husband.

Binance's website indicates that Gambaryan joined their team in 2021 as vice president of Global Intelligence and Investigations. Prior to this role, he spent ten years serving as a special agent for the Internal Revenue Service—Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI) Cyber Crimes Unit based in Washington D.C., where he led several multi-billion dollar cyber investigations.

While details regarding the detention of these two executives have not been openly discussed by the Nigerian government, Bayo Onanuga, an adviser to the Nigerian president, told the Wall Street Journal that Binance has been cooperating with government officials. Discussions regarding "compensation" to Nigeria have reportedly taken place. A spokesperson for Binance stated, "We are working collaboratively with Nigerian authorities to bring Nadeem and Tigran back home safely to their families. We trust there will be a swift resolution to this matter."

Economist Shedrach Israel expressed his belief that banning Binance will not resolve the issue of Nigeria's currency devaluation, as reported by Punch. Israel stated, "I don’t know why the cryptocurrency is being seen as sabotage on the exchange rate because the cryptocurrency is not the major means by which the dollar is flowing in Nigeria." It is estimated that 10.3% of Nigeria's population, equating to over 22 million people, currently hold crypto.

More News

Brad Garlinghouse, CEO of Ripple, said that the company enables global financial institutions to enhance cross-border payments and efficiency through digital technology.

Jul 9, 2025

Changpeng Zhao, founder of Binance, said that a move for Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to count bitcoin as a mortgage asset signals a shift in the American Dream.

Jul 7, 2025

Binance has announced the launch of PIXEL APR Boost Airdrop Rewards for the 11th project on BNSOL Super Stake, in collaboration with Pixels (PIXEL), a web3 game on the Ronin Network.

Jul 7, 2025

Michael Saylor, executive chairman of Strategy (formerly MicroStrategy), said that public companies increased their bitcoin holdings more rapidly than exchange-traded funds (ETFs) in the second quarter.

Jul 5, 2025

CoinFlip, a global digital currency platform, has announced the launch of a new user interface for its CoinFlip Preferred service.

Jun 30, 2025

Gum Shoe, a crypto influencer, has highlighted the long wait times and high fees at Coinbase compared to better service at Binance as evidence of the need for increased competition among U.S. crypto exchanges.

Jun 23, 2025