Blog Post Dec 5, 2024 HRF’s Weekly Financial Freedom Report #52 In Thailand, the government initiated the second phase of its digital cash handout, targeting four million Thai seniors with 10,000 baht ($290) distributed via their state-controlled “Tang Rath” app.
Blog Post Nov 28, 2024 HRF’s Weekly Financial Freedom Report #51 In Turkey, through years of double-digit inflation, the state has eroded the value of the country’s largest banknote, the 200-lira bill, whose purchasing power has plummeted from $140 in 2010 to just $5.80 today.
Blog Post Nov 21, 2024 HRF’s Weekly Financial Freedom Report #50 This week, we celebrate a special milestone: the 50th edition of our newsletter and the 1-year anniversary of the Financial Freedom Report.
Press Release Nov 19, 2024 HRF’s CBDC Tracker wins two Anthem Awards The Human Rights Foundation (HRF) is proud to announce that its CBDC Tracker has been honored with a 2024 Silver Anthem Award and the Anthem Community Voice Award for “Best Use of Data” in the Human & Civil Rights category.
Blog Post Nov 14, 2024 HRF’s Weekly Financial Freedom Report #49 Last week, Pakistan’s military-backed government proposed amendments to the State Bank of Pakistan Act (SBP) to open the door for a state-controlled central bank digital currency (CBDC).
Blog Post Nov 7, 2024 HRF’s Weekly Financial Freedom Report #48 Indian regulators are contemplating a ban on digital assets like Bitcoin to position their central bank digital currency (CBDC), the Digital Rupee, as the country’s dominant option.
Blog Post Oct 31, 2024 HRF’s Weekly Financial Freedom Report #47 In Nigeria, the state anti-corruption agency dropped money laundering charges against Tigran Gambaryan, a Binance employee detained by the regime since February.
Announcement Oct 25, 2024 Vote for HRF’s CBDC Tracker in the 2024 Anthem Awards The Human Rights Foundation (HRF) is excited to announce that the HRF CBDC Tracker is a finalist for a 2024 Anthem Award in the Human & Civil Rights category.
Blog Post Oct 24, 2024 HRF’s Weekly Financial Freedom Report #46 We are excited to share that HRF’s CBDC Tracker is a finalist in this year’s Anthem Awards, which honor social impact work across various fields.
Blog Post Oct 17, 2024 HRF’s Weekly Financial Freedom Report #45 In North Korea, citizens face a devalued currency and strict control over foreign currency as the regime tries to trap people in the collapsing North Korean won.
Blog Post Oct 10, 2024 HRF’s Weekly Financial Freedom Report #44 Last week, HRF hosted the second annual Global Bitcoin Summit, bringing together more than 125 human rights defenders, Bitcoin developers, social entrepreneurs, and UI/UX designers from more than 60 countries at the beautiful Bitcoin Park in Nashville, Tenn.
Blog Post Oct 3, 2024 HRF’s Weekly Financial Freedom Report #43 In Kuwait, the government is escalating surveillance by mandating biometric fingerprint data for all citizens and threatening to restrict their financial accounts, assets, and government services if they fail to comply.
Blog Post Sep 26, 2024 HRF’s Weekly Financial Freedom Report #42 In Zimbabwe, the regime’s new ZiG currency is rapidly losing value, depreciating by up to 80% on the parallel market as citizens lose confidence in the state’s latest monetary experiment. Despite government interventions — including creating artificial scarcity, freezing bank accounts, and arresting currency traders — Zimbabwe is on the brink of yet another currency failure.
Blog Post Sep 19, 2024 HRF’s Weekly Financial Freedom Report #41 This week, authoritarian regimes continued to use financial repression tactics to target dissidents and opposition movements. In Nicaragua, the National Assembly unanimously approved a reform allowing the regime to prosecute and seize the assets of exiled citizens.
Blog Post Sep 12, 2024 HRF’s Weekly Financial Freedom Report #40 This week, Bitcoin took center stage in Venezuela’s struggle for financial freedom. After the Maduro regime brazenly stole the country’s presidential election, opposition leader Maria Corina Machado spoke in an exclusive interview with the Human Rights Foundation (HRF), where she called Bitcoin a “lifeline” and a “vital means for resistance” for Venezuelans suffering under repression and hyperinflation.
Blog Post Sep 5, 2024 HRF’s Weekly Financial Freedom Report #39 In Syria, Bashar al-Assad’s economic policies continue to devastate the lives of millions while he enforces a tight grip on power. Manipulated currency exchange rates and strict monetary controls have deepened poverty and wreaked havoc on the Syrian lira’s value, offering a sobering view into the impact of authoritarian rule on the financial freedom of everyday citizens.
Press Release Sep 5, 2024 HRF interviews Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado on financial repression and freedom On Thursday, Bitcoin Magazine published a video of the Human Rights Foundation’s (HRF) chief strategy officer, Alex Gladstein, interviewing María Corina Machado, leader of Venezuela’s democratic opposition, about the destruction the Chavismo have caused to Venezuela’s monetary system and how many Venezuelans use Bitcoin to escape or find their financial freedom.
Blog Post Aug 22, 2024 HRF’s Weekly Financial Freedom Report #37 In Russia, the crackdown on charitable donations continues. Ksenia Karelina, a dual Russian-American citizen, was sentenced to 12 years in prison for donating $51 to a Ukrainian charity. Her case highlights the severe risks individuals face when supporting Russian opposition and reminds us of the critical need for financial privacy, especially for the billions of people who live under tyrannical regimes.
Blog Post Aug 19, 2024 The Role of Freedom Tech in Venezuela Venezuela grapples with fraudulent presidential elections, economic and financial collapse, widespread repression, and severe human rights abuses under dictator Nicolás Maduro, its brave activists continue searching for uncensorable solutions to combat systemic repression.
Blog Post Aug 15, 2024 HRF’s Weekly Financial Freedom Report #36 As Venezuelan dictator Nicolás Maduro tightens his grip on power, he has restricted access to Binance, the world’s largest Bitcoin and cryptocurrency exchange. For many Venezuelans, Binance was a helpful lifeline offering peer-to-peer access to USD, Bitcoin, and stablecoins. Now, many are left increasingly trapped with the crumbling bolívar.