Anna Baydakova

Anna writes about blockchain projects and regulation with a special focus on Eastern Europe and Russia. She is especially excited about stories on privacy, cybercrime, sanctions policies and censorship resistance of decentralized technologies.
She graduated from the Saint Petersburg State University and the Higher School of Economics in Russia and got her Master's degree at Columbia Journalism School in New York City.
She joined CoinDesk after years of writing for various Russian media, including the leading political outlet Novaya Gazeta.
Anna owns BTC and an NFT of sentimental value.

Anna Baydakova

Latest from Anna Baydakova


Policy

U.S. Sanctions Watchdog Alleges Russia-Linked Crypto Wallet Processed $5M

An Irish national helped wealthy Russians evade sanctions and hide money in UAE, OFAC said Friday.

(Nikhilesh De/CoinDesk)

Consensus Magazine

Is Ledger’s New Bitcoin Key Recovery Feature Safe? Experts Have Doubts

The French wallet-maker believes the service will help attract customers turned off by crypto's unforgiving self-custody ethos. But critics wonder whether the concept is compatible with a real hardware wallet.

“Security is really the precursor to mass adoption and scalability," Alex Zinder, global head of hardware wallet maker Ledger Enterprises said, on CoinDesk TV’s “First Mover," show. (Hendrik Morkel via Unsplash)

Consensus Magazine

Serial Phishing Scammer Uses a Mix of Laundering Techniques, Including Coin Swaps and a Mysterious OTC

Attacker behind a fake HitBTC website might have stolen $15M worth of crypto from multiple scams and phishing attacks.

Danil Potekhin and Dimitrii Karasavidi face a growing list of U.S. legal troubles. 
(wk1003mike/Shutterstock)

Consensus Magazine

Payroll Startup Rise Wins CoinDesk's 2023 Pitchfest Contest

Based in Ohio, Rise onboards employees for automatic crypto paychecks.

(Getty Images)

Finance

Crypto Exchange Binance Is Back in Russia, Lifts Restrictions on Russian Users: Report

Users in Russia report they once again can use locally issued Mastercard and Visa cards to deposit money on the crypto exchange more than a year following a wartime prohibition on such transactions.

Logo de Binance. (Unsplash)

Finance

Russia Plans to Mine Crypto for Cross-Border Deals, Says Central Bank

International sanctions have been imposed on the country to exclude it from the U.S. dollar-powered global payment infrastructure.

Elvira Nabiullina, Bank of Russia chief

Policy

Ryuk Ransomware Gang’s Crypto Broker Gets Light Sentence After a Guilty Plea

Denis Dubnikov was sentenced to time served, a $10,000 fine and a $2,000 forfeiture.

The Ryuk ransomware gang may have been named after a Japanese manga character. (Andrew Evans, modified by CoinDesk)

Consensus Magazine

Fedi Gives Bitcoiners a Community Custody Option

For most people, crypto custody comes down to the choice of holding their own keys or giving them to an exchange. Fedi offers an intriguing third way – to share the burden with trusted friends and family. That’s why Fedi is one of CoinDesk’s Projects to Watch 2023.

(Rachel Sun/CoinDesk)

Consensus Magazine

Sybil Millionaires: How Airdrop Hunters Trick Projects and Snatch Fortunes

They maintain multiple accounts for the same project, stay undetectable and maximize profits from airdrops like those of Arbitrum, Aptos, Sui and others.

Coins dropping / Getty Images