Quantcast

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

Polymarket Blocks French Traders Amid Gambling Inquiry
Gary Gensler announces his resignation for the inauguration of Donald Trump
FTX co-founder Gary Wang sentenced to time served
UK poised to unveil crypto regulations amid pressure to retain industry
Bitcoin in search of 100,000 $: A $400 million standoff
Trump's US-Propelled Crypto Adoption – Will France Follow?
MicroStrategy Upsizes Debt Offering to $2.6B; Breaks Into Top 100 U.S. Public Companies by Market Cap
Bitcoin on November 20 – BTC dominates the crypto market in this bull run
BIS study questions decentralization in DeFi liquidity provision
Bitcoin surges to record high near $95,000
Polish Presidential Candidate Bullish on Bitcoin – Following in Donald Trump’s Footsteps?
Cryptocurrencies: Goldman Sachs will dedicate its blockchain to institutional trading
Michael Saylor's MicroStrategy Added Additional 51,780 Bitcoin for $4.6B
Speculation looms over SEC leadership under Trump as rhetoric escalates
Outlier Ventures CCO: 'Fundamental crypto general-purpose technology' in off-chain sectors is 'interesting'
Bank of Russia revokes license of Corporate Finance Bank LLC
MANTRA CEO: 'We're obviously meant to be relatively agnostic' as a 'layer one blockchain'
Bitcoin blips down as Fed’s Powell says no ‘hurry to lower rates’
Chainalysis CRO: 'I think TradFi is coming to the blockchain'
KYC, filtering, and sanctions: the European Banking Authority wants to toughen crypto regulation
Trump Names Former SEC Chair Jay Clayton to DOJ Office, the Same Office That Prosecuted SBF
Gary Gensler's days at the SEC are numbered – His letter suggests his resignationGary Gensler's days at the SEC are numbered – His letter suggests his resignation
Visa launches tokenized asset platform to bridge fiat and blockchain
DFF CEO: 'There needs to be more collaboration, more unity between nations'
Bitcoin: BTC surpasses $92,000, on the way to $100,000?
BlackRock Expands Tokenized Fund BUIDL Beyond Ethereum to 5 New Blockchains
Donald Trump Places Elon Musk in Government Position – What Impact on Dogecoin (DOGE)?
Dogecoin Flips XRP as Elon Musk-Linked Trade Keeps on Giving
Elon Musk revives the idea of dismantling the Federal Reserve (Fed): A call to Bitcoin supporters?
Bitcoin offers almost a new ATH per day – 100,000$ by January?
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

Brian Armstrong, CEO of Coinbase, said that broader cryptocurrency use will emerge from seamless products where users benefit without engaging with the underlying systems.

Oct 22, 2025

Michael Saylor, co-founder of Strategy Inc., announced that the company has expanded its bitcoin holdings and reported a 25.9% year-to-date yield for 2025.

Oct 22, 2025

Lark Davis, founder of Wealth Mastery, advised traders to avoid leverage and risky "revenge trading" amid widespread liquidations and emphasized the importance of protecting capital.

Oct 22, 2025

Kent Lin, Co-founder of Optimum, said that Bitcoin's market capitalization is approximately 7% of gold's, suggesting that the rally in gold expands potential upside for Bitcoin.

Oct 22, 2025

Anna Milne, founding director of research for the CAFE Association, said that membership focuses on industry leadership that combines innovation with consumer protection, rather than merely adhering to baseline compliance.

Oct 20, 2025

Edward "Coach" Weinhaus, the Founding Executive Director of the CAFE Association, emphasized that fraud is a shared problem and detailed the organization's plan to educate consumers and support responsible companies.

Oct 17, 2025