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


Consensus Magazine

Bitcoin From Defunct BTC-e on the Move Again: Report

Someone is trying to cash out bitcoin from an exchange the U.S. shut down in 2017.

Alexander Vinnik (Shutterstock)

Consensus Magazine

Regulatory Pressure Did Not Shut Down Privacy Tool, Aztec Founders Say

Despite U.S. efforts to sanction Tornado Cash and other crypto privacy tools, Aztec says it shut down its Ethereum zero-knowledge tools for commercial reasons.

(Aztec Network)

Consensus Magazine

$119M in Stolen Crypto So Far in 2023, NFT Rug Pulls on the Rise: Crystal Blockchain

DeFi protocols have been hackers’ favorite targets since 2021. Now hackers are preying on NFT projects, a blockchain intelligence firm says.

Computer Hacking Hackers (Shutterstock)

Consensus Magazine

This Ukrainian Startup Is Looking to Automate Crypto Crime Reporting Using Smart Contracts, AI

The project allows users to report cryptocurrency wallets related to scams, sanctions violations, terrorism financing and other crimes.

Scam alert (Getty)

Consensus Magazine

Russians Use Tether to Send Money to the West, Evading Sanctions and KYC – Transparency International

Russian banks may be cut off from the SWIFT international payments network but, despite wide-ranging international sanctions, money keeps flowing between Russia and the West. Brokers are ready to turn Russian rubles into foreign currency abroad, in cash.

(Benjamin Davies/Unsplash)

Learn

Why Stablecoin USDC’s Unstable Weekend Matters

The second-largest stablecoin in crypto has restored its dollar peg after a tumultuous weekend, but it shows how important the token is in the ecosystem.

Circle (Sandali Handagama/ CoinDesk)

Consensus Magazine

‘Italian FTX’ Leaves Users in Limbo, Citing ‘Difficulties in Liquidity Management’

The Rock Trading, one of the oldest crypto exchanges in the world, said Tuesday it was pausing its operations, raising fears about its future.

Andrea Medri, founder of The Rock Trading (YouTube)

Tech

Ransomware Gang Conti Has Re-Surfaced and Now Operates as Three Groups: TRM Labs

The sanctioned hacking group with Russian origins is now operating as Black Basta, BlackByte and Karakurt, blockchain intel firm says in a new report.

The WannaCry ransomware attack infected over 200,000 computers in 2017.