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Human Rights Leaders Urge Congress to Take 'Open-Minded' View on Bitcoin
Human rights activists have urged Congress to learn about bitcoin and its use in nations suffering conflict and hyperinflation.
Updated May 11, 2023, 3:42 p.m. Published Jun 7, 2022, 1:44 p.m.
A letter detailing the utility of bitcoin and stablecoins for people facing political repression and economic hardship has been sent to the U.S. Congress by 20 human rights activists.
- The letter was addressed to the likes of House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi and both the Majority and Minority Leaders of the Senate, Charles E. Schumer and Mitch McConnell, respectively.
- It outlines personal accounts of how bitcoin and stablecoins have been used by people in nations suffering conflict, like Ukraine, as well as those bit by hyperinflation, such as Venezuela.
- "When currency catastrophes struck Cuba, Afghanistan, and Venezuela, Bitcoin gave our compatriots refuge," the letter states. "When crackdowns on civil liberties befell Nigeria, Belarus, and Hong Kong, Bitcoin helped keep the fight against authoritarianism afloat."
- Lyudmyla Kozlovska, a Ukrainian activist, said bitcoin has directly assisted in fundraising for soldiers in the fight against Russia.
- "For me, Bitcoin is not just technology. It has literally saved the lives of my friends and many Ukrainians," Kozlovska said. "Without it, we would not have been able to raise money so quickly to pay for protective equipment for soldiers in the early days of the Russian invasion."
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What to know:
- As of October 2025, GoPlus has generated $4.7M in total revenue across its product lines. The GoPlus App is the primary revenue driver, contributing $2.5M (approx. 53%), followed by the SafeToken Protocol at $1.7M.
- GoPlus Intelligence's Token Security API averaged 717 million monthly calls year-to-date in 2025 , with a peak of nearly 1 billion calls in February 2025. Total blockchain-level requests, including transaction simulations, averaged an additional 350 million per month.
- Since its January 2025 launch , the $GPS token has registered over $5B in total spot volume and $10B in derivatives volume in 2025. Monthly spot volume peaked in March 2025 at over $1.1B , while derivatives volume peaked the same month at over $4B.
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Crypto CEOs Join U.S. CFTC's Innovation Council to Steer Market Developments
The chief executives of firms such as Gemini and Kraken will pitch in on U.S. policy efforts through the council's future, public discussions.
What to know:
- In her final days atop the agency, Commodity Futures Trading Commission Acting Chairman Caroline Pham announced her CEO Innovation Council, replete with crypto executives.
- The names include the chief executives from Gemini, Kraken, Polymarket, Bitnomial and several others.
- The CFTC is expected to get its permanent chairman very soon when the Senate votes on the confirmation of Mike Selig, President Donald Trump's nominee.
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