Anonymous Offers $52,000 in BTC to Russian Soldiers

Anonymous, the infamous international hacker network, has offered $52,000 in Bitcoin to Russian soldiers in exchange for surrendering their armored tanks and abandoning the battle with Ukraine. The self-declared anti-oppression activist group, which rose to prominence in 2008 on the hill of the Occupy Wall Street protests, had called on its global network of hackers to join the fight against Russia’s invasion of Ukraine on Friday via its Twitter handle.

In a viral video, an alleged spokesperson for the agency stated, while wearing its signature Guy Fawkes mask, that it is working to ensure Putin’s secrets are no longer safe and that key components of the Kremlin government’s infrastructure could be hijacked.

It has claimed nearly 300 successful cyberattacks on Russian-owned websites, including top-tier banks such as Sberbank, energy companies such as Gazprom, and government agencies such as RTV. This time, it is aimed at Putin’s foot soldiers, offering them 1.2 BTC in exchange for avoiding the war.

Any Russian soldier willing to hand over their arms and armored vehicles must wave a white flag and enter the password ‘millions’, according to official surrender instructions. The Ukrainian Defense Ministry is said to have backed Anonymous’ tactics, adding that it would provide asylum to any repentant Russian soldier and express visa entry to any foreigner willing to come to Ukraine to help fight Russia.

The decentralized group’s actions will add to the growing list of civil organizations and corporate bodies that have expressed their opposition to Russia’s attack. Google, Apple, and even Elon Musk’s Starlink have banded together to assist Ukrainians and deter Russians. Elon Musk offered his Starlink Satellite internet connection to restore connectivity several hours after Kyiv experienced a massive internet blackout as a result of Russian attacks.

Since the beginning of the conflict, Bitcoin has seen an impressive rally beyond its tedious $40K resistance. Part of the increase in value was attributed to increased demand among Ukrainians and Russians who are now facing financial constraints. It has also actively participated in the torrent of cryptocurrency donations pouring in to help Ukrainians.

UkraineDAO, a decentralized crowdfunding platform, recently reached a $7 million milestone, adding to the $50 million in cryptocurrency reportedly amassed through global crowdfunding efforts. Polkadot, Bitcoin, Ether, Dogecoin, and USD Tether are the most frequently donated assets.

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