Russia
Wages Aren’t Rising With Inflation, Can Crypto Help?
Michele Schneider, MarketGauge Group managing director, shares her crypto markets update with “First Mover” following Fed Chair Jerome Powell’s testimony on inflation and the release of the jobs report from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Schneider addresses the economic tensions that arise as inflation increases while wages stay stagnant, and the uptick in crypto transaction volumes from Russia and Ukraine.

Bitcoin Slips Under $42K While Active Supply Reaches Yearly High
The cryptocurrency is approaching $41,000, although one analyst says geopolitical tensions could fuel a run to over $50,000.

First Mover Asia: China to Widen Test of Digital Yuan as Russia Invasion Spotlights Crypto’s Potential Role; Cryptos Decline
The country is close to approving trials of the central bank digital currency in a number of cities and regions; bitcoin and ether drop as risk-on appetite fades.

Monetary Weapons: 4 Lessons from Canada and Russia
The traditional financial system is a tool that can be used both against fellow citizens and despicable enemies.

Optimas CEO on Inflation: Fed Chair Powell Will ‘Turn to Quantitative Easing Within 6–7 Months’
Optimas CEO and founder Octavio Marenzi shares his insights on Fed Chair Jerome Powell’s plans for a quarter-point rate hike later this month, believing this is only a short-term concern and Powell is likely to utilize quantitative easing (QE) within the next six to seven months.

Dragonfly Capital Exec.: Crypto Flourishes ‘When the Banks Aren’t Working’
Haseeb Qureshi, a managing partner at Dragonfly Capital, joins “All About Bitcoin” to discuss macro factors moving the crypto markets, highlighting the impact from both the Russia-Ukraine conflict and the COVID-19 pandemic.

‘Crack Down’ on Crypto? Maybe, but You Can’t Ban Math
On-ramps like crypto exchanges are already regulated, and rightly so, thwarting would-be sanctions evaders. Outlawing code would be unconstitutional and ultimately futile.

Ukraine Government Cancels Crypto Airdrop, Plans for NFTs Instead
The Ukrainian government announced it's canceling the pre-planned crypto airdrop for donors. Instead, it will issue NFTs to support the Ukrainian armed forces, but emphasized there are no plans to issue any fungible tokens. “The Hash” discusses the role decentralized technology has played in the Russia-Ukraine conflict. Co-host Zach Seward emphasizes the humanitarian crisis at hand, underscoring that “this war is not a crypto story.”

Chainalysis Exec: ‘Unlikely’ That Russia Is Evading Sanctions Through Crypto
As U.S. lawmakers push the Treasury Dept. to ensure Russia is not evading sanctions with crypto, Salman Banei, Chainalysis head of public policy for North America, responds to the concern, emphasizing the transparency of open blockchain networks. Banei explains how Chainalysis tackles mixers and other DeFi protocols in its cross-chain monitoring.
