​Michael Chobanian is reaching for weapons to defend Ukraine using crypto

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Like most Ukrainians, Michael Chobanian is reaching for weapons to defend his country from the Russian invasion. But instead of rifles, he's using crypto.

For the past six years, the 38-year-old has led the country’s largest cryptocurrency exchange. Now he’s tasked with converting and spending those tokens to help equip Ukrainian forces, overseeing the country’s digital currency war chest — $60 million and growing.

"The fundamental change is that, before the war, there were a lot of skeptics, especially in the government, in the banks, and in the military." he told Bloomberg. "Now there is no skepticism because they understand that we save lives every single minute with crypto."