Anna Chekhovich, an activist, financial director of the Anti-Corruption foundation, the organization that was founded by Alexei Navalny, the main opposition leader of Russia.

Together with other members of the foundation Ms. Chekhovich was persecuted by the criminal Russian regime and was forced to leave the country in 2019 under the pressure of a trumped-up criminal case.

Working on major opposition projects, the Anti-Corruption foundation has been using Bitcoin technology in order to avoid government’s surveillance since 2016. Crypto assets had helped the Foundation to maintain the opposition activities in Russia while their local bank accounts were under constant attacks from the government. After the Anti-Corruption foundation was labeled by Putin’s regime as an extremist organization in Russia, the foundation was relocated to Lithuania. Since then Ms Chekhovich has been working on the communication with European banks regarding the problem of purchasing crypto assets by NGOs in the EU. Since crypto transfers is the only tool to assist and financially support Russian political prisoners and activists who, risking their lives and freedom are fighting the regime while in Russia, together with the activists from other countries with authoritarian regimes Ms Chekhovich takes her part in negotiation with european officials over the problem of crypto regulations in the EU.