The CEO of Kraken, Jesse Powell, has responded to Mykhalio Fedorov – the Vice Prime Minister of Ukraine, who asked cryptocurrency exchanges to downright ban Russian users from their platforms.
- As CryptoPotato reported yesterday, the Vice PM of Ukraine asked cryptocurrency exchanges to halt servicing Russian customers.
- The CEO of Kraken – one of the most popular US-based crypto trading venues, took it to Twitter to issue his response.
- Jesse Powell said that he understands “the rationale for this request but, despite my deep respect for the Ukrainian people, Kraken cannot freeze the accounts of our Russian clients without a legal requirement to do so. Russians should be aware that such a requirement could be imminent.”
- He explained that said requirement could be instituted by their own government and gave an example of what happened in Canada.
- However, Powell also touched upon the fact that many of the crypto holders on his exchange are likely to be anti-war.
Bitcoin is the embodiment of libertarian valus, which strongly favor individualism and human rights. In Canada, crypto was the only financial rail left for those who opposed the regime.