Tigran Gambaryan

Tigran's story is about more than one man in a notorious Nigerian prison. It's about how people in places without stable economies have found refuge in cryptocurrency, how crypto can undermine state power, and how that state power fights back.

Some backstory. Tigran made his name working for the IRS. He was a special agent there, a financial investigator. And he focused on investigating cryptocurrency and cyber cases.

Some backstory. Tigran made his name working for the IRS. He was a special agent there, a financial investigator. And he focused on investigating cryptocurrency and cyber cases.

Some backstory. Tigran made his name working for the IRS. He was a special agent there, a financial investigator. And he focused on investigating cryptocurrency and cyber cases.

But Tigran suspected that these transactions were not as anonymous as people thought. So night after night, with his infant daughter on his lap, he stared at long strings of letters and numbers, trying to figure out a way to follow transactions from one place to another. And through just determination, he was able to do it. He was able to trace transactions.

But Tigran suspected that these transactions were not as anonymous as people thought. So night after night, with his infant daughter on his lap, he stared at long strings of letters and numbers, trying to figure out a way to follow transactions from one place to another. And through just determination, he was able to do it. He was able to trace transactions.

But Tigran suspected that these transactions were not as anonymous as people thought. So night after night, with his infant daughter on his lap, he stared at long strings of letters and numbers, trying to figure out a way to follow transactions from one place to another. And through just determination, he was able to do it. He was able to trace transactions.

And over the next decade, he became kind of this evangelist for crypto. He believed that if done correctly, crypto could solve a lot of the problems in the financial system and maybe be more transparent than traditional banks. And so in 2021, Tigran decided to leave government and take his talents to the largest cryptocurrency platform in the world, a company called Binance.

And over the next decade, he became kind of this evangelist for crypto. He believed that if done correctly, crypto could solve a lot of the problems in the financial system and maybe be more transparent than traditional banks. And so in 2021, Tigran decided to leave government and take his talents to the largest cryptocurrency platform in the world, a company called Binance.

And over the next decade, he became kind of this evangelist for crypto. He believed that if done correctly, crypto could solve a lot of the problems in the financial system and maybe be more transparent than traditional banks. And so in 2021, Tigran decided to leave government and take his talents to the largest cryptocurrency platform in the world, a company called Binance.

Binance is what's called an exchange, basically a place to buy or sell crypto. And it had this kind of sketchy reputation as a place for money launderers and criminals.

Binance is what's called an exchange, basically a place to buy or sell crypto. And it had this kind of sketchy reputation as a place for money launderers and criminals.

Binance is what's called an exchange, basically a place to buy or sell crypto. And it had this kind of sketchy reputation as a place for money launderers and criminals.

So officially, Tikran was hired to help with law enforcement and compliance. But unofficially, he was sort of an ambassador for Binance and for crypto itself. He was there to send the message. Crypto's Wild West days were over. That shady stuff Binance was doing was in the past. Today's Binance is law-abiding, and we're here to help.

So officially, Tikran was hired to help with law enforcement and compliance. But unofficially, he was sort of an ambassador for Binance and for crypto itself. He was there to send the message. Crypto's Wild West days were over. That shady stuff Binance was doing was in the past. Today's Binance is law-abiding, and we're here to help.

So officially, Tikran was hired to help with law enforcement and compliance. But unofficially, he was sort of an ambassador for Binance and for crypto itself. He was there to send the message. Crypto's Wild West days were over. That shady stuff Binance was doing was in the past. Today's Binance is law-abiding, and we're here to help.

Now, Nigeria as a country has a complicated relationship with crypto. By the time Tigran had arrived last year, their currency, the Naira, had been through years of turmoil. They had unpegged the Naira from the U.S. dollar. Inflation had been high, like 30% annually. And so people had been buying up crypto as a kind of store of value.

Now, Nigeria as a country has a complicated relationship with crypto. By the time Tigran had arrived last year, their currency, the Naira, had been through years of turmoil. They had unpegged the Naira from the U.S. dollar. Inflation had been high, like 30% annually. And so people had been buying up crypto as a kind of store of value.

Now, Nigeria as a country has a complicated relationship with crypto. By the time Tigran had arrived last year, their currency, the Naira, had been through years of turmoil. They had unpegged the Naira from the U.S. dollar. Inflation had been high, like 30% annually. And so people had been buying up crypto as a kind of store of value.

Instead of putting savings in a bank, they would buy Bitcoin or Ethereum. In 2024, Nigeria had the second largest cryptocurrency adoption rate in the world.