Anna Baydakova

Investigative Reporter

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.

Latest from Anna Baydakova

Policy

SEC Depositions Shed Light on Telegram's $1.7B Token Sale

Newly released transcripts of the SEC’s depositions of Telegram executives offer a rare window into the logic and the mechanics behind its $1.7 billion token sale.

Jan 22, 2020

TALE OF THE TAPE: “If I see that Telegram needs more resources, I would happily invest more because I'm a person that prefers not to own any real estate,” CEO Pavel Durov said during his deposition. (Image via Shutterstock)

Policy

Blockchain Association Sides With Telegram Against SEC, Says Grams Are Not Securities

The U.S. advocacy group has come out strongly on the side of Telegram in its ongoing SEC court case.

Jan 22, 2020

Thurgood Marshall Courthouse, New York. Credit: Shutterstock

Policy

Digital Chamber Asks Court to Draw Line Between Investment Contracts and Assets in Telegram Case

The Chamber of Digital Commerce, a blockchain advocacy group, wants a U.S. court to distinguish between an investment contract and the underlying asset used by Telegram during a 2018 initial coin offering.

Jan 22, 2020

U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York

Policy

SEC: Cash-Strapped Telegram Launched 2018 Token Sale to Pay for Servers

Telegram launched its token sale because it was "short on cash" to pay for servers, the SEC said.

Jan 17, 2020

Policy

Liquid Exchange Cancels Sale of Telegram's Gram Tokens

With the SEC lawsuit holding up the launch of Telegram's TON network, the Japan-based exchange has cancelled its sale of gram tokens and refunded investors.

Jan 16, 2020

Finance

LinkedIn Says Blockchain Is Top Skill for 2020

Blockchain is listed as the number one “hard skill” for 2020 in a new report compiled by jobs site LinkedIn.

Jan 14, 2020

Markets

Kraken Futures to Expand Into Russia After New Hire

Kraken Futures is ramping up its Russian expansion with the hiring of a new representative, ICBIT founder Aleksey Bragin.

Jan 14, 2020

Aleksey Bragin, representative for Kraken Futures in Russia

Policy

SEC Produces Evidence That Telegram Kept Selling Tokens After $1.7B ICO

The SEC produced evidence that Telegram kept selling tokens after its ICO, undermining the firm's argument that the sale was exempt from registration.

Jan 10, 2020

Finance

A Russian Nuclear Plant Is Renting Space to Energy-Hungry Bitcoin Miners

A state-owned nuclear power plant in Russia may soon fuel a bitcoin mining hub.

Jan 8, 2020

Sergei Nemchenkov, the head of data centers and digital products at Rosenergoatom / Anna Baydakova for CoinDesk

Policy

Telegram Tries to 'Clarify' Gram Crypto Project Amid Ongoing SEC Fight

Telegram will not integrate a crypto wallet into its messaging app, at least until it gets the green light from U.S. regulators, the company said Monday on its official website.

Jan 6, 2020

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