Aoyon Ashraf is a Canadian financial journalist who is the Global Head of News at CoinDesk, a media platform specializing in cryptocurrency and digital assets. In this role, he is responsible for the organization's worldwide editorial content and overall news strategy. Before joining the cryptocurrency media sector, Ashraf spent nearly a decade as a journalist at Bloomberg, where he covered a wide range of markets. ^[1]​

Education

Ashraf attended the University of Toronto, where he pursued a degree in engineering. He graduated in 2010 with a Bachelor of Engineering (B.Eng) in Mining and Mineral Engineering. ^[2]​

Career

Ashraf began his career in finance at Mackie Research Capital, where he worked in investment banking from 2009 to 2011, focusing on financing small-cap companies. He then joined Bloomberg in February 2012, spending nearly a decade with the company until October 2021, during which he worked on the First Word Canada desk, covering mining, metals, energy, equities, commodities, and technology sectors. In June 2022, Ashraf joined CoinDesk as Managing Editor, based in Toronto, where he contributed to editorial direction and strategy. He was promoted to Head of Americas in March 2025, overseeing regional news coverage until October 2025. In October 2025, he became Global Head of News at CoinDesk, assuming responsibility for the organization’s overall editorial content and news strategy. ^{[1] [2]}

Interviews

Tokenizing RWAs

At the Sibos Conference in December 2023, Ashraf interviewed Chainlink co-founder Sergey Nazarov about the role of oracle networks in blockchain and finance. Nazarov described Chainlink as a decentralized network that supplies external data such as price feeds, proof of reserves, and cross-chain communication to blockchains, supporting transactions valued in the trillions of dollars. He explained that decentralized finance applications depend on oracles to automate and validate on-chain financial contracts. Nazarov highlighted the growing importance of cross-chain interoperability, noting that it can improve liquidity and enable interaction across different blockchains without direct integration. He also discussed Chainlink’s work with banks, including support for tokenizing real-world assets across public and private networks. Nazarov emphasized security and risk management, referencing Chainlink’s Cross-Chain Interoperability Protocol and its decentralized safeguards. He concluded by outlining a long-term vision to create an interconnected “internet of contracts” across blockchain systems. ^[4]

Panels

Mining Finance

At Consensus in January 2023, Ashraf moderated a panel on mining finance with Amanda Fabiano of Galaxy Digital, Jaime Leverton of Hut 8, and Lucas Pipes of B. Riley Securities. The discussion examined how the mining sector had shifted since the 2021 bull market, noting increased institutional participation, more publicly listed miners, and financial strain during the 2022 downturn. Leverton highlighted the importance of diversifying revenue streams beyond bitcoin mining to reduce exposure to market volatility. Panelists discussed how investors are now more focused on production metrics, requiring miners to demonstrate consistent output to secure funding. They also addressed ongoing capital pressures, including large outstanding commitments for mining hardware purchases and the growing reliance on debt as financing costs rise. ESG considerations and regulatory scrutiny, particularly around environmental impact, were identified as key factors shaping investor sentiment. Despite these challenges, the panel expressed cautious optimism about consolidation opportunities and the potential for the industry to strengthen through improved operational and capital efficiency. ^[5]