Anna Chekhovich is the former financial director of Alexei Navalny’s Anti-Corruption Foundation (FBK) from Russia. Targeted by Putin’s regime, the foundation gradually lost access to financial institutions. In 2015, the Russian government began blocking the bank accounts of various foundations, even those very loosely connected to the FBK. Navalny and his family also had their personal accounts frozen as did many people who worked on the FBK team. Anna was de-banked multiple times by Putin’s regime and turned to bitcoin for its anti-censorship aspects to circumvent Russian financial surveillance, control, and confiscation.

Anna Chekhovich joined HRF in 2024 as the nonprofit bitcoin adoption lead. For Anna, bitcoin is the preferred financial system as it safeguards democracy and activism and provides a lifeline when traditional financial systems oppress such movements.