Quantcast

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

Goldman Sachs anticipates surge in security token trading
The French Red Cross launches its first NFT donation collection with TheSandbox
Bitstamp and Flowdesk 1st step for the EURCV stablecoin
Google softens its policy on crypto advertisements, in view of the Bitcoin spot ETF?
ELIZABETH WARREN RECRUITS 5 SENATORS FOR HER ANTI-CRYPTO BILL
CHINA: BLOCKCHAIN USED TO VERIFY THE IDENTITY OF CITIZENS
A Spot Bitcoin ETF Is Easy. What Comes Next Could Get Dangerous.
Binance aux USA : la plateforme crypto n'aura plus de petits secrets
This $500 million investment fund is interested in Chainalysis and Animoca Brands
Crackdown-Hit Crypto Industry Sets Sights on Abu Dhabi
Crypto Altcoins Are Outperforming With Bitcoin ‘Gravitating’ Toward $50,000
ECB Gets New Powers From EU Over Climate, Crypto Bank Risks
SEC Says Its Binance Case Should Advance Despite DOJ Settlement
Binance CEO: 'We need everyone to play by the same standards'
Robinhood Launches Crypto Trading in EU
Le Crypto Daily : La SEC incapable de trancher sur les ETF crypto
Binance CEO: After DOJ settlement, 'new partners are now approaching us'
Binance Withdraws Unnecessary Abu Dhabi License Application
Cours gratuits de Binance en France : éducation ou marketing illégal ? - Coins.fr
Les utilisateurs du Coinbase Wallet peuvent désormais s’envoyer de l’argent via des liens WhatsApp, TikTok et Instagram
Le géant IBM dévoile une nouvelle technologie pour les cold wallets de cryptomonnaies
Bitcoin dépasse Tesla et Berkshire Hathaway pour se hisser dans le top 10 des actifs du monde entier
Lobby aux USA : les entreprises crypto ont cassé la tirelire en 2023
Coinbase : ce que dit le rapport de “transparence” de la plateforme
Taxpayers in Swiss City Can Settle Bills With Bitcoin, Tether
Société Générale to become first big bank to list a stablecoin
More 'Too Good to Be True' Crypto Shenanigans in Hong Kong
Bitcoin Mining Used More Water Than New York City Last Year
Here's Something Rare: Bank CEOs Agree with Elizabeth Warren
Uniswap's institutional ambitions
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

The United States Attorney's Office for the District of Massachusetts has announced the extradition of Aleksei Andriunin, founder of Gotbit, to face charges of market manipulation and wire fraud.

Feb 27, 2025

Binance customer support has clarified that the exchange does not sell or "dump" large amounts of tokens.

Feb 26, 2025

The European Union (EU) is intensifying its regulatory framework for cryptocurrencies with measures such as the Transfer of Funds Regulation (TFR), Markets in Crypto-Assets Regulation (MiCA), and the Travel Rule, according to Georg Brameshuber, a...

Feb 25, 2025

Simon Dixon, a crypto investor and influencer, has described the Bybit exchange hack as the "largest exchange hack" in history, underscoring the significance of self-custody for Bitcoin.

Feb 25, 2025

The Comisión Nacional del Mercado de Valores (CNMV) has announced a list of warnings from international supervisors concerning unregistered entities providing financial and/or cryptocurrency services.

Feb 25, 2025

Bybit has announced that a sophisticated attack manipulated an Ethereum cold wallet transaction, resulting in significant losses.

Feb 24, 2025