Quantcast

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

Coinbase CEO Says UK's TV Ad Ban Sparked ‘Quite a Reaction’
Barry Silbert returns to Grayscale as chairman as the firm prepares to go public
August is historically bad for Bitcoin: should you buy this altcoin x100 instead?
Customs duties: faced with Trump, Europe has chosen submission rather than confrontation
Europe risks USD dominance without common stablecoin rules: ECB adviser
ASIC Warns Against Bitget’s “Unlicensed” Crypto Offerings
Bitcoin, XRP… PayPal opens in-store payment to 100 cryptocurrencies
Changpeng Zhao's fortune surpasses $70 billion thanks to rising BNB
Mercurity Fintech to build $200 million SOL treasury with backing from Solana Ventures Ltd.
Out with gold, in with Bitcoin: India's ultra-rich are betting everything on crypto
Trump’s media company reports $2B in Bitcoin after crypto bills pass US House
UK to sell $7.2 billion worth of Bitcoin (BTC)
BloFin Adds Apple Pay Support; An Even Smoother Crypto Buying Experience for Traders
Bitcoin creator Satoshi Nakamoto is the world’s 11th richest person
Binance Launches TGE Bonding Curve with Four.Meme: Everything You Need to Know
Bernstein expects 'long and exhausting' crypto bull market with bitcoin to hit $200,000 by early 2026
Strategy bags another $472M in BTC as Bitcoin jumps to new highs
Bank of England puts a stop to stablecoins: here's why
UAE Golden Visa is ‘being developed independently‘ — TON Foundation
SEC Sets July Deadline for Solana (SOL) ETF Refilings, Clearing Path for Pre-October Approval
Robinhood's OpenAI-linked token drop triggers demand debate
US Secret Service cracks down on crypto scams
Donald Trump Signs His “One Big Beautiful Bill” Budget Law — What’s the Takeaway?
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
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