Russia
How blockchain intelligence can prevent Russia from evading sanctions
As pointed out by Caroline Malcolm, head of international policy at Chainalysis, the transparent nature of blockchain technology makes it relatively easy for crypto intelligence companies to track funds related to sanctioned entities. “We’re in quite a unique position because of the transparency and the permanency and the immutability of that public record,” explained Malcolm in an exclusive Cointelegraph interview. Governments around the world have expressed concerns that Russia could use crypto to evade sanctions imposed as a response to its military offensive against Ukraine. Addressing those concerns, Malcolm pointed out that in the last few years there has been substantial improvement in the crypto industry’s Anti-Money Laundering and counter-terrorism framewor...
Internet Computer founder’s $250M plan to help end the war in Ukraine
Internet Computer (ICP) and DFINITY founder Dominic Williams has conjured up an oddball plan to speed up the end of the Russian invasion of Ukraine via smart contracts and $250 million worth of crypto rewards. DFINITY’s Internet Computer was launched in May 2021 and is a public blockchain and protocol that’s trying to decentralize the internet. Williams’ March 16 proposal is focused on countering propaganda, and informing the Russian population — who he suggests are in general “completely ignorant” — on the reality of what is actually taking place in Ukraine, which will then, in turn, spur them on to pressure the government to stop the conflict. “We should not hold out too much hope that sanctions alone will turn the Russian population against their leaders, for the simple reason tha...
Edgeless Traitor: Candace Owens Shows Alleged Allegiance To Putin With “Russian Lives Matter” Quip
HipHopWired Featured Video CLOSE Source: Jason Davis / Getty Candace Owens, she of deficient edges and general good sense, makes it her business to a disruptive presence in media with hardline ideals and fealty to all things conservative. The wayward pundit used her massive Twitter platform to show support for Vladimir Putin’s assault on Ukraine, willfully tweeting “Russian Lives Matter” at the end of her misguided missive. Back on March 9, Owens shared this doozy of a tweet that we won’t dignify with a direct link but will share in the body of this text: Absolutely appalling the way Russians are being treated in America and abroad. That our leaders and government institutions are allowing for—and at times calling for this discrimination following their global “black lives matter” hysteria...
THORChain quietly outperforms crypto market in Q1 — Can RUNE price break $10 next?
THORChain (RUNE) could continue its upward momentum in the coming weeks even as it treads inside a classic bearish reversal structure. RUNE’s price has rebounded strongly by over 165% four weeks after testing its multi-month horizontal level support near $3.15. What’s more, its upside retracement has opened up possibilities about an extended bull run toward $11.50, about 45% above the current price level near $7.89, as shown in the chart below. RUNE/USD weekly price chart featuring descending triangle setup. Source: TradingView The $11.50-level coincides with RUNE’s multi-month falling trendline resistance, forming a descending triangle, a bearish setup, in conjunction with the lower horizontal support. That could have RUNE’s price correct again to $3.15 after reach...
Blockchain forensics firm finds millions in sanctioned crypto wallet
Blockchain security and forensics firm Elliptic has been working with authorities to expose crypto wallets affiliated with sanctioned individuals or organizations. The United Kingdom-based company has discovered a wallet with “significant crypto-asset holdings” in the millions of dollars that may be linked to sanctioned Russian officials and oligarchs. Speaking to Bloomberg on March 14, Elliptic co-founder Tom Robinson said that crypto could be used for sanctions evasion. However, it has been widely reported and generally accepted now that Russia is very unlikely to pivot to crypto assets to circumvent them. The report did not specify the exact value of the crypto in the wallet it discovered or the nature of the assets it held. Robinson added that the scale of the use of crypto is in...
Bitcoin could crush Russian ruble by rising another 140%, classic technical setup suggests
Bitcoin (BTC) has declined by around 30% after topping out at 5.8 million rubles a token on March 9. Nonetheless, the said drop could be an excuse for traders to dump another big stash of the Russian national currency if a classic bullish continuation pattern plays out. Bitcoin heads towards 11 million rubles Dubbed the “ascending triangle,” the pattern appears when the price consolidates between a rising lower trendline (support) and a flat upper trendline (resistance). It completes after the price breaks out of the consolidation range in the direction of its previous trend, eyeing levels at length equal to the maximum distance between the triangle’s upper and lower trendline. BTC’s price against the ruble has been trending inside a similar structure since January ...
US and EU double down on measures against Russia potentially using crypto to evade sanctions
The United States and the European Union have announced new actions targeting Russia’s economy and wealthy individuals as a report suggests Vladimir Putin’s allies have attempted to circumvent sanctions using cryptocurrency in foreign countries. In a Friday announcement, the White House said leadership from the United States, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom and the European Union will take additional actions aimed at economically isolating Russia in response to President Vladimir Putin’s military invasion of Ukraine. The announcement includes banning imports of many Russian goods, banning the export of luxury goods to Russia and guidance for the U.S. Treasury Department to monitor the country’s attempts to evade existing sanctions. “Treasury’s expansive actions ag...
Ally or suspect? The war in Ukraine as a stress test for the crypto industry
It has been two weeks since Russia kicked off the first large-scale military action in Europe in the 21st century — a so-called “special operation” in Ukraine. The military conflict immediately triggered devastating sanctions against the Russian economy from the United States, the European Union and their allies and has put the crypto industry in a position that is both highly vulnerable and demanding. As the world watches closely, the crypto space must prove its own standing as a mature and financially and politically responsible community, and it must defy the allegations of being a safe haven for war criminals, authoritarian regimes and sanctioned oligarchs. Up to this point, it has been going relatively well. But despite reassurances from industry opinion leaders, some experts say that...
Pink Floyd and David Gilmour Pull Music from Streaming Services in Russia and Belarus
Pink Floyd are removing all of their music from 1987 onwards from streaming services in Russia and Belarus to take a stand against Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Former lead singer David Gilmour is pulling all of his solo recordings as well. The Pink Floyd albums being removed include A Momentary Lapse of Reason, the band’s first without founding member Roger Waters, its 1994 follow-up The Division Bell, and 2014’s The Endless River, as well as a handful of live albums and box sets. The group’s timeless classics, Dark Side of the Moon and The Wall, will remain available, as well as the trove of 1970s-era live albums that were quietly uploaded to streaming services in late December. Both Gilmour and Waters have spoken out against Russia on social media. Earlier this month, Gil...
The White House Briefs TikTok Stars on Ukraine Crisis
National Security Council staffers and White House press secretary Jen Psaki gathered 30 TikTok stars via Zoom Thursday, March 10th for a briefing on the war between Russia and Ukraine. Since Russia invaded Ukraine late last month, TikTok became an unlikely source of real-time information for millions around the world. While the app has proven to be a useful tool for reporters, its algorithm has also harbored dangerous misinformation and Russian propaganda. Psaki led the briefing alongside Matt Miller, a special adviser for communications at the White House National Security Council. In a recording obtained by The Washington Post, Biden officials emphasized the influence these creators have in online discussions surrounding the crisis. “We recognize this is a critically important aven...
Haven Protocol (XHV) shows strong signs of bottoming out after crashing 90%
Haven Protocol (XHV) showed signs of returning to its bullish form as its price doubled in just five days of trading. What’s pumping Haven Protocol? XHV’s price surged by up to 107% week-to-date to climb above $3.60 on March 11, its highest level in more than three months. Interestingly, the move upside followed a period of aggressive selloffs that saw XHV’s value dropping from nearly $20 in November 2021 to as low as $1.60 in early February 2022 — an approximately 90% decline. XHV/USD weekly price chart. Source: TradingView Traders started returning to the Haven Protocol market against the prospects of two macroeconomic scenarios: U.S. President Joe Biden’s executive order that focuses on cryptocurrencies and hardline western sanctions on Russian oligarchs amid an ...
President Joe Biden Turns Attention To Brittney Griner Russia Case
HipHopWired Featured Video Source: Mike Mattina / Getty WNBA star Brittney Griner is currently jailed in Russia on drug charges as the nation is embroiled in an all-out assault on Ukraine. While it was assumed that President Joe Biden would put the player’s situation on the back burner, administration officials alerted members of Congress that they’re working on the matter. In an exclusive chat with theGrio, Rep. Shelia Jackson Lee says that White House officials told members of the Congressional Black Caucus that they’re actively looking to address Griner’s harrowing situation in Russia after the Phoenix Mercury standout was reportedly caught with THC vape cartridges. The arrest came at the top of last month but was only recently revealed to the global media, sparking high levels of conce...
