Founder and CEO, Telegram, Pavel Durov, Narrates how he had 100 biological children around the world despite being unmarried.
The 39-year-old entrepreneur made this known through his popular channel on Monday evening.According to him, despite his preference to remain single and alone, 15 years ago, his friend (unnamed) approached him to give his sperm in a clinic, which he acceded to and resulted in him helping over 12 families all over the world have kids due to what he described as ”high-quality donor material’.Narrating, he said, “I was just told that I have over 100 biological kids. How is this possible for a guy who has never been married and prefers to live alone?
“Fifteen years ago, a friend approached me with a weird request. He said that he and his wife couldn’t have kids due to a fertility issue and asked me to give sperm at a clinic for them to have a baby. I laughed my ass off before realising he was dead serious.“The boss of the clinic told me that ‘high-quality donor material’ was in short supply and that it was my civic duty to give more sperm to anonymously help more couples. This sounded crazy enough to get me to sign up for sperm donation.“Fast forward to 2024, my past giving activity has helped over a hundred couples in 12 countries to have kids. Moreover, many years after I stopped being a donor, at least one IVF clinic still has my frozen sperm available for anonymous use by families who want to have kids.”He hinted that he would plan to open-source his DNA so that his biological children could easily find him, stressing, “Of course, there are risks, but I don’t regret having been a donor. The shortage of healthy sperm has become an increasingly serious issue worldwide, and I’m proud that I did my part to help alleviate it.”The Telegram founder is a Russian-born Emirati entrepreneur. In 2022, he was recognized as the richest expat in the United Arab Emirates, according to Forbes. In February 2023, Arabian Business named him the most powerful entrepreneur in Dubai. #Telegram #offtopic
Affiliate Company has said its parent body, Meta, will be appealing the $220 million fine imposed by the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) regarding its violation of Nigeria’s data privacy laws.
The organisation, said this in a statement made available to the News Agency of Nigeria on Saturday in Lagos.
It said: “We disagree with the decision today as well as the fine and Meta will be appealing the decision.
“In 2021, we went to users globally to explain how talking to businesses among other things would work and while there was a lot of confusion then, it has actually proven quite popular.”
Bitcoin miners’ AI push will send price to $200K - Bernstein.
Will Bitcoin hit $200,000 by next year?
Bernstein says yes!
But with a little help.
Forget about mass adoption or solving world hunger.
There's a new theory for why Bitcoin will moon: Artificial Intelligence.
According to analysts at Bernstein, AI could be the key to sending Bitcoin prices soaring to $200,000 by next year.
Let’s compare Bitcoin mining to the 19th-century ice industry.
Just as ice production inadvertently spurred the development of electrical grids, Bitcoin mining could pave the way for a more robust infrastructure to support AI's immense power demands. #CPI_BTC_Watch #BinanceTurns7 #bitcoin☀️
Nigeria's detainment of Binance Executives sets dangerous precedent, CEO warns
Richard Teng, CEO of Binance, condemned Nigeria's detention of two of its executives during a crackdown on cryptocurrency.
Teng revealed that Binance executives initially engaged in discussions with Nigerian authorities in January, followed by a subsequent meeting on February 26. During this meeting,
Nigerian authorities labeled the issues concerning Binance as matters of national security. They demanded the delisting of the naira currency from Binance's platform and requested detailed information on all Nigerian users.
The detention of Gambaryan and Anjarwalla after collaborative meetings with Nigerian authorities was strongly condemned by Teng. He stated that this action sets a dangerous precedent for companies worldwide.
Binance halted all transactions and trading in naira in early March in response to the situation, with the hope that their colleagues would be released and dialogue with the Nigerian government could continue.
Teng emphasized the need for Gambaryan's release and expressed Binance's commitment to resolving any issues with Nigerian authorities, including engaging with the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) on potential historic tax liabilities.
Remember the days when BNB was just a humble $30? 🌙 Ah, sweet nostalgia! Let me take you back to that magical time when I was a crypto tadpole, swimming in the shallow pools of the blockchain.
---
📅 **Six Months Ago**
I received an email from Binance: "Participate in our survey and earn 3 BNB!" My heart raced. Three whole BNB? That's like finding a golden ticket to Willy Wonka's crypto factory. I clicked faster than a DeFi yield farmer chasing the latest APY.
The survey was straightforward. Questions like, "How many times have you accidentally sent your crypto to the wrong address?" and "Do you prefer hodling or moonshot trading?" I answered with the enthusiasm of a Shiba Inu meme.
---
🚀 **Fast Forward to the Moon**
Six months later, BNB had morphed into a majestic rocket ship. It soared past $300 like a caffeinated kangaroo on steroids. My 3 BNB? Now worth enough to buy a small moon base. 🌕
I strutted around like a crypto peacock. Friends asked, "How did you get so rich?" I'd lean in, whispering, "Binance survey, my friend. The secret sauce."
---
🔍 **The Search for More Surveys**
I scoured my inbox for more survey invitations. "Rate our UI for 0.001 BNB!" I clicked. "Predict the next bull run for 0.002 BNB!" I clicked harder. I even took a survey about surveys (meta, I know).
---
🤑 **The Moral of the Story**
Life lesson: Never underestimate the power of a seemingly insignificant reward. That 3 BNB? It taught me that sometimes, the smallest seeds grow into the mightiest oak trees. Or in this case, the most intergalactic crypto rockets.
So next time you see a survey, my fellow crypto voyager, don't scoff. Click that button. Who knows? Maybe one day, you'll be sipping moon martinis with Elon Musk, reminiscing about the good ol' days when BNB was just $30.
---
*Disclaimer: This post is not financial advice. BNB prices can be as unpredictable as a cat riding a unicycle.*
How Nigerian Binance users transact business – Witness
A deputy director at the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Olubukola Akinwumi, explained on Friday how Nigerians trading on Binance Holdings Limited’s platform use false names in the transactions.
Mr Akinwumi, who is the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) ‘s second prosecution witness in the ongoing trial of the cryptocurrency firm and its executive, Tigran Gambaryan, said this in his testimony before the trial judge, Emeka Nwite, of the Federal High Court, Abuja.
Led in evidence by EFCC’s lawyer, Ekele Iheanacho, the witness who heads the Payment Policy and Regulation Division in the Payments System Management Department of the CBN, said the bank did not issue any licence to the cryptocurrency firm to operate in Nigeria.
“In the course of carrying out our operations, we normally monitor development within the SEC (Securities and Exchange Commission), monitoring the activities of payment service providers and the usage of the payment system.
“We observed in doing that that Binance provides a trading platform where users trade virtual assets.
“And to consummate their transactions for the purpose of settlement of payments, the users make use of the payment system for the purpose of transferring or making payment to one another.
“These traders normally trade in pseudo-names (pseudonyms) that hide their identities and they are not authorised by the CBN” .
He said they discovered that platform users received and made payments or transferred payments to one another using the payment system to consummate transactions on Binance Peer-to-Peer (P2P) platform.
Binance documents Submission of certified true copies of documents made available to SEC by Binance, which was equally made available to the investigating team at the office of the National Security Adviser, and pages generated on the firm’s website were tendered in evidence and marked as Exhibits 8 and 9 by the judge.
Mr Akinwumi said that Page 2 of Exhibit 8 introduced Binance as the world’s leading crypto exchange, with users from over 190 countries.
“They have the full address of the website on the page, which is https://www.binance.com.
“Binance has what is called Binance Academy. That is on page 16 of Exhibit 8.
“Generally, Exhibit 9 explains to Nigerians on how to deposit Naira in the Nigerians wallet on the Binance platform.”
“So, as I explained earlier, Binance maintains accounts and needs revenue for its services.
“Page 2 of Exhibit 9, under the Fiat Section, shows the rates applied for regular users.”
After giving his evidence, the judge, Mr Nwite, adjourned the matter until 16 July for cross-examination of the witness.
Remember the days when BNB was just a humble $30? 🌙 Ah, sweet nostalgia! Let me take you back to that magical time when I was a crypto tadpole, swimming in the shallow pools of the blockchain.
---
📅 **Six Months Ago**
I received an email from Binance: "Participate in our survey and earn 3 BNB!" My heart raced. Three whole BNB? That's like finding a golden ticket to Willy Wonka's crypto factory. I clicked faster than a DeFi yield farmer chasing the latest APY.
The survey was straightforward. Questions like, "How many times have you accidentally sent your crypto to the wrong address?" and "Do you prefer hodling or moonshot trading?" I answered with the enthusiasm of a Shiba Inu meme.
---
🚀 **Fast Forward to the Moon**
Six months later, BNB had morphed into a majestic rocket ship. It soared past $300 like a caffeinated kangaroo on steroids. My 3 BNB? Now worth enough to buy a small moon base. 🌕
I strutted around like a crypto peacock. Friends asked, "How did you get so rich?" I'd lean in, whispering, "Binance survey, my friend. The secret sauce."
---
🔍 **The Search for More Surveys**
I scoured my inbox for more survey invitations. "Rate our UI for 0.001 BNB!" I clicked. "Predict the next bull run for 0.002 BNB!" I clicked harder. I even took a survey about surveys (meta, I know).
---
🤑 **The Moral of the Story**
Life lesson: Never underestimate the power of a seemingly insignificant reward. That 3 BNB? It taught me that sometimes, the smallest seeds grow into the mightiest oak trees. Or in this case, the most intergalactic crypto rockets.
So next time you see a survey, my fellow crypto voyager, don't scoff. Click that button. Who knows? Maybe one day, you'll be sipping moon martinis with Elon Musk, reminiscing about the good ol' days when BNB was just $30.
---
*Disclaimer: This post is not financial advice. BNB prices can be as unpredictable as a cat riding a unicycle.*
#Binance reacts as FG drops tax charges against executives.
Crypto exchange platform, Binance has expressed relief as the Federal High Court in Abuja cleared its executives, Tigran Gambaryan, and Nadeem Anjarwalla, of tax evasion charges filed by the Federal Inland Revenue Service.
The court’s decision came on Friday after the FIRS submitted amended charges that effectively dropped the tax evasion allegations against Gambaryan and Anjarwalla, who absconded to Kenya.
This change followed Binance’s notification of appointing a Nigerian representative, Ayodele Omotilewa, to handle its local operations. The original charges, filed on March 22, 2024, accused Binance and Gambaryan of tax evasion.
In a shared note with The PUNCH, the platform said it was relieved that tax charges against Gambaryan and Anjarwalla have been dropped because they are decision-makers at the company.
The platform said, “We are relieved that the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) has served and filed amended charges today, resulting in tax charges against Tigran Gambaryan being dropped.
“This further illustrates that Tigran is not a decision-maker at Binance and does not need to be held in order for Binance to resolve issues with the Nigerian government. We await the court’s ruling on this, discharging Tigran from this matter completely.”
“We commend the FIRS for their diligence and professionalism throughout this process. This situation unequivocally demonstrates Binance’s commitment to resolving this issue with the government transparently and cooperatively.
“Tigran has been detained for 110 days, and his physical health is deteriorating, including a recent malaria and pneumonia diagnosis. Binance is committed to continuing to work with the Nigerian government to resolve this,” Binance added.
On June 20, the EFCC trial is due to continue, while Tigran will remain detained at Kuje prison.
Since Tigran collapsed in court on May 23rd with Malaria, his health conditions have worsened and Tigran now has pneumonia. #NigeriaCryptoBan #NigeriaVsBinance
ZkSync planning on token generation this week with airdrop in middle of June - Sources
ZkSync, an Ethereum Layer 2 network developed by Matter Labs, plans to host its token generation event (TGE) this week (May 20-25, 2024), two sources with knowledge of the matter told The Block.
The token launch, including an airdrop, will follow within the next 30 days after the TGE, the sources said. The token will have a total supply of 21 billion tokens, they added.
ZkSync is currently aiming at around June 13 for the airdrop, with the company noting that it would be before Blast's token airdrop on June 26, according to an internal message screenshot seen by The Block.
Nigeria plans strict rules for $57bn crypto businesses
The Nigerian government is set to implement stringent regulations for the country’s booming cryptocurrency industry, which is estimated to be worth a staggering $57 billion.
These new rules are expected to provide a framework that will enhance transparency and security within the crypto sector.
With the increasing popularity of cryptocurrencies in Nigeria, the government’s proactive approach is seen as a necessary step to safeguard investors and ensure the stability of the market.
The Nigerian government is set to implement stringent regulations for the country’s booming cryptocurrency industry, which is estimated to be worth a staggering $57 billion.
The move comes as authorities aim to address concerns over potential risks associated with digital currencies.
These new rules are expected to provide a framework that will enhance transparency and security within the crypto sector.
With the increasing popularity of cryptocurrencies in Nigeria, the government’s proactive approach is seen as a necessary step to safeguard investors and ensure the stability of the market.
Nigeria has experienced a significant increase in its volume of cryptocurrency transactions, reaching $56.7 billion between July 2022 and June 2023. This information comes from the 2023 Geography of Cryptocurrency Report, conducted by Chainalysis, an international blockchain analysis firm based in the United States of America.
According to sources, it has been revealed that the government is considering announcing a temporary suspension of P2P crypto trading in order to develop a comprehensive set of regulations for better oversight of the industry.
In an interview with Sunday PUNCH, the Chairman of BICCoN, Lucky Uwakwe, said that the group would be seeking to reach a middle ground with the regulator, which had so far this year introduced stiffer guidelines for digital asset operators, as well as a proposed increase in the registration fees.
Nigeria plans strict rules for $57bn crypto businesses
The Nigerian government is set to implement stringent regulations for the country’s booming cryptocurrency industry, which is estimated to be worth a staggering $57 billion.
These new rules are expected to provide a framework that will enhance transparency and security within the crypto sector.
With the increasing popularity of cryptocurrencies in Nigeria, the government’s proactive approach is seen as a necessary step to safeguard investors and ensure the stability of the market.
The Nigerian government is set to implement stringent regulations for the country’s booming cryptocurrency industry, which is estimated to be worth a staggering $57 billion.
The move comes as authorities aim to address concerns over potential risks associated with digital currencies.
These new rules are expected to provide a framework that will enhance transparency and security within the crypto sector.
With the increasing popularity of cryptocurrencies in Nigeria, the government’s proactive approach is seen as a necessary step to safeguard investors and ensure the stability of the market.
Nigeria has experienced a significant increase in its volume of cryptocurrency transactions, reaching $56.7 billion between July 2022 and June 2023. This information comes from the 2023 Geography of Cryptocurrency Report, conducted by Chainalysis, an international blockchain analysis firm based in the United States of America.
According to sources, it has been revealed that the government is considering announcing a temporary suspension of P2P crypto trading in order to develop a comprehensive set of regulations for better oversight of the industry.
In an interview with Sunday PUNCH, the Chairman of BICCoN, Lucky Uwakwe, said that the group would be seeking to reach a middle ground with the regulator, which had so far this year introduced stiffer guidelines for digital asset operators, as well as a proposed increase in the registration fees.
Binance Executive held in Nigeria prison together with Boko Haram terrorists and bandits.
Yuki Gambaryan, the wife of the detained Binance Holdings Limited executive, Tigran Gambaryan, hass told the US Parliament that the Nigerian Government kept her husband, Tigran Gambaryan, in Kuje prison together with Boko Haram terrorists and bandits.
Yuki, represented by her congressman, Rich McCormick, spoke at Tuesday’s House Foreign Affairs Committee roundtable on Americans detained abroad.
According to her, the husband has spent 65 days in custody.
Gambaryan and another company executive, Nadeem Anjarwalla, were detained on February 26 following an investigation into Binance’s activities in Nigeria.
Gambaryan’s wife stated that although she couldn’t speak on behalf of the company, she stressed that the charges against her husband were completely unfounded.
She said,” My husband and the father of our two young children, Tigrin, has been in Nigerian custody for 65 days, the longest two months of our lives. On February 25, he landed in Abuja at the Nigerian Government’s request for a financial compliance policy. This is what Tigran does. He helps countries navigate the notoriously prickly finance, crime, and compliance world.
“He spends his days investigating and pursuing criminal activity on Binance, his employer’s cryptocurrency platform. However, 24 hours after his arrival, he was arrested and detained without charge or explanation.
“Today, my husband sits in the notorious Kuje prison, a place that has held Militants from Boko Haram,” she said.
Gambaryan’s wife accused the Nigerian Government of using her husband as a bargaining chip, a situation she described as devastating.
She said, “Ironically, Tigran spent more than a decade as a special agent for the United States General Revolution Revenue Service, investigating issues of national security, terrorist financing, identity theft, distribution of tile pornography, tax evasion and more”.
Nigerian Govt sends Interpol after fleeing Binance Director
Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris on Monday said there is no hiding place for Nadeem Anjarwalla, a Director of Binance who escaped from custody and fled the country after he was detained by the Nigerian Government.
The minister said the International Police (Interpol) were currently on Anjarwalla’s trail.
Idris was reacting to the Binance executive’s escape from Nigeria.
According to Idris, since Binance is an international firm, there is no way the culprit will evade arrest.
His explanation came barely few hours after the Office of the National Security Adviser confirmed that Anjarwalla, a key suspect in the ongoing criminal investigation regarding Binance’s activities in Nigeria, managed to escape lawful custody on Friday, March 22nd, 2024.
In an official statement released by the Head of Strategic Communication for the Office of the National Security Adviser, Zakari Mijinyawa, it was explained that collaborative efforts between the office, relevant security agencies, various government bodies and the international community are already underway to swiftly locate and detain the fugitive.
The statement stressed that security agencies are working with Interpol for an international arrest warrant on the suspect as preliminary investigation shows that Anjarwalla fled Nigeria using a smuggled passport.
The personnel responsible for the custody of the suspect have been arrested, and a thorough investigation is ongoing to unravel the circumstances that led to his escape from lawful detention.
Anjarwalla, who holds British and Kenyan nationalities and serves as Binance’s Africa regional manager, was being tried by Nigerian courts before he escaped while under a 14-day remand order issued by a court.
He was scheduled to appear before the court again on 4 April 2024.
The office of the National Security Advisers, ONSA, has confirmed the escape of the Binance regional manager for Africa, Nadeem Anjarwalla.
DAILY POST reports that Anjarwalla, Binance’s Africa regional manager, escaped from custody on March 22, 2024, from an Abuja guest house, where he and his colleague, Tigran Gambaryan, were detained for alleged tax evasion.
A statement issued by ONSA head of strategic communication, Zakari Mijinyawa, said Anjarwalla fled Nigeria using a smuggled passport”.
Mijinyawa said the personnel responsible for the custody of the suspect has been arrested and investigation has begun. “Preliminary investigation shows that Mr Anjarwalla fled Nigeria using a smuggled passport”.
“The personnel responsible for the custody of the suspect have been arrested, and a thorough investigation is ongoing to unravel the circumstances that led to his escape from lawful detention,” the statement reads.
Meanwhile, Binance in reaction to the development said the safety of its Manager remains top priority. The firm stressed that it is working with the Nigerian authorities to resolve the issue.
#HotTrends #BTC $BTC Court orders Binance to disclose names of users to EFCC
ABUJA-The Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has ordered Binance Holdings Limited to release to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, a comprehensive detail of all persons from Nigeria trading on its platform.“Binance is a cryptocurrency exchange platform that lists more than 350 digital currencies, which serve as alternative form of payment, using encryption algorithms. The government had earlier asked Binance for information on its top 100 users in the country, as well as all transaction history for the past six months. The governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, Mr. Olayemi Cardoso, had on February 27, disclosed that about $26 billion passed through Binance from unidentified sources. In an abrupt move on March 8, the crypto firm discontinued all transactions in naira on its exchange platform, following reports that the government demanded $10bn as retribution for profiting from “its illegal transactions” in Nigeria. However, in an ex-parte motion it filed before the court, the EFCC said it would need a detailed data of Binance users in the country to aid its ongoing investigation on issues relating to money laundering and terrorism financing.“The ex-parte motion, marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/259/2024, was filed pursuant to Sections 6(b), (h), (I), 7(1), (a)(2), and 38 of the Economic and Financial Crimes Establishment Act, 2004 and Section 15 of the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022 (as amended) and the inherent powers of the court.