Anna Chekhovich is a Russian activist who manages the Anti-Corruption Foundation’s finances while living in exile. She runs payrolls, budgeting, and fundraising for a movement that faces surveillance, asset seizures, and sanctions. What sets Anna apart is her operational playbook for keeping an organization alive when banks fail you. In this episode, Anna joins The Last Free Americans to share how bitcoin became ACF’s plan B for payroll and donations, how activists build practical off-ramps under hostile regimes, and how she co-designed a simple three-day training that now serves activists from more than 50 countries.
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TIMESTAMPS:
0:00 - Intro, disclaimers, and why Bitcoin self-custody matters for human rights
1:04 - Running ACF finances under surveillance and in exile
3:23 - Bank freezes and the shift to bitcoin as plan B
4:52 - Paying 300 plus staff when accounts are seized
5:57 - Donor safety in authoritarian regimes and why self-custody is essential
7:10 - Explaining self-custody in the U.S. context
9:37 - The HRF webinar design and why simplicity wins
12:09 - Day 1 playbook: custody types, first wallet, sending sats
12:41 - Day 2 playbook: last mile options, P2P, meetups, and ATMs
13:52 - Day 3 playbook: self-hosted crowdfunding with BTCPay Server and cold storage
16:22 - Why lightning for live demos and choosing simple wallets like Muun
20:57 - Sanctions and supporting family via P2P off-ramps
31:19 - Multisig for nonprofits and where Unchained fits
35:02 - Privacy by default with coinjoin and better ops hygiene
39:14 - The peace time case for self-custody and financial dignity
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