Quantcast

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

Bitcoin on X? Elon Musk opens the door to this possibility
Celebrating 25 years of the euro: a retrospective and future outlook
Bitcoin Documentary Wins Award at Cannes
The AMF and the ACPR warn the public against the activities of several players who offer investments in Forex and derivative products on crypto-assets in France without being authorized to do so
BitPay customers can now purchase goods and pay bills in BNB, LINK and UNI
A Hack of the S.E.C.’s Social Media Account Caused a Bitcoin Frenzy, Briefly
Cryptocurrencies and NFTs in France: CryptOx'R 2024 brings together Web3
Bitcoin swings sharply after false claim that SEC approved ETFs
New proof of reserves for Binance: the exchange finally cleared?
Ternoa gets into DeFi: smart contracts arrive on the betanet
Bitcoin: More than 6,000 merchants accept BTC in their store
Coinbase plans acquisition to expand derivatives offering in EU
Coin Center executive director: New IRS crypto reporting rule 'is not only unconstitutional but also virtually impossible to comply with'
Healthcare blockchain project Galeon wins three awards and soars at CES Las Vegas 2024
Binance US Branch Hires New Compliance Officer
Visa unveils Web3 customer loyalty solution
BTC: Cboe exchange approves listing of Fidelity Investments Bitcoin Spot ETF
European Central Bank lays out €1.2bn plan for development of digital euro
Crypto Council for Innovation survey finds crypto offers alternative to underbanked communities
Prosecutors won't pursue second trial against FTX founder
Capital inflows into crypto products tripled in 2023
Binance places 10 cryptocurrencies under surveillance: the end of privacy-focused tokens?
Lummis: 'Congress must create rules of the road for the crypto asset industry'
Cryptocurrency: After a year of scandals and ups and downs, the appetite for bitcoin is growing
Nexo acquitted of money laundering and tax fraud
Donald Trump sells $2.4 million worth of ETH
Are modular blockchains the answer to scalability problems?
THE TITANS OF WALL STREET AND THE BITCOIN ETF RACE – CRYPTO PERSONALITIES OF 2023
CRYPTO: RIPPLE VERSUS THE SEC, WILL THE WAR CONTINUE IN 2024?
BNB Surges 11% to Overtake Solana as Community Welcomes Sleepless AI
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

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

The Federal Financial Supervisory Authority (BaFin) has issued a warning against the website amgfinancialeu.com, citing its provision of financial, investment, and crypto-security services without proper authorization.

Feb 24, 2025