Four stories about the Cryptocurrency boom in Eastern Europe

Six years ago, only experts knew the words “blockchain” and “cryptocurrency”, but today they seem to be discussing everywhere. In December, Bitcoin, the most popular cryptocurrency, reached almost $ 20,000, but then it collapsed to $ 12,000. The world changes before our eyes: how?

Mining - “prey” cryptocurrencies - ceased to be the lot of technically advanced amateurs. Today, the oligarchs go to the “farmers”, authoritarian regimes are forced to mitigate the legislation, and entrepreneurs are actively working on the creation of dual -purpose heating systems. In order for the country to develop a cryptocurrency market, in essence, a little is needed: people who do not have work, cheap electricity and laws loyal to the digital economy. And here even those who live on territories with a controversial international status have hope to enter the new economic “tomorrow” with everyone.

The New Gazeta told the history of the crypto business of the Internet community at the former Moskvich Automobile Plant, and four independent media in the post-Soviet space with the support of the Russian-speaking media network told their stories about the cryptocurrency boom.

The first story: Russia. Farm "Moskvich"

Entrepreneur and Internet Ombudsman Dmitry Marinichev built a mining farm on the territory of the legendary Moskvich plant. This is the largest digital mine in Russia and at the same time an engineering experiment where new equipment is tested. Marinichev is sure that production will find another, domestic use. For example, mining equipment with water cooling will be able to warm the house, simultaneously performing mathematical calculations for which you can receive remuneration in cryptocurrency. These calculations will be sold for the whole world.

• Read the details in the Bitcoin gallery-portage for Muscovites . Authors: Gleb Limansky, Nadezhda Mironenko, Victoria Odissonova, New Gazeta

History Second: Georgia - “Number Two” after China

According to a study by the University of Cambridge, Global Cryptocurrency Benchmarking Study, in 2017 Georgia reached second place in the world after China in terms of the power of devices involved in cryptocurrency mining. This business interested one of the richest and most influential people in the country-former Prime Minister Bidzin Ivanishvili, who financed the construction of data centers and, apparently, is engaged in lobbying for the interests of miners.

The Government of Georgia is also looking at new technologies: it began to introduce blockchain technology in public services. In this regard, Georgia was one of the first in the world (similar projects recently started in Estonia, Sweden and the USA).

• How Georgia was seriously carried away by Krypt, Jam-News tells in the report-“Money“ from the air ”for citizens and oligarchs”

History Third: Belarus. On the way to European Hong Kong

Over the past ten years, Belarus has become the leader of the IT market in Eastern Europe. Since 2006, the Belarusian digital economy has created more than 100,000 jobs, the industry itself has grown 30 times, and 90% of the clients of Belarusian IT companies are abroad. It is not surprising that when mining cryptocurrencies became a “hot” IT direction, one of the first bitcoin farms in Belarus appeared in the region. Such as in the Euroradio report .

You can’t win - lead. That is exactly what the President of Belarus did with the cryptocurrency market. On December 22, Alexander Lukashenko signed a decree on the development of a digital economy. With this decree, he created the most favored nation mode for IT companies, significantly expanded the list of companies that can become participants in the PVT (that is, receive tax and a number of other preferences), legalized cryptocurrency.

In addition, the decree introduced the elements of “English law” within the IT sphere, which may be given the impulse of liberalization and other areas of the life of Belarusian society. Belarusian officials, meanwhile, are read out by the work of the first Prime Minister Singapore, the author of the Singapore "Economic Miracle" Lee Kuan Yu.

• “Gromadskoye asked experts to evaluate the pre -instals of the digital economy in such an authoritarian state as Belarus.

History Fourth: Moldova. How to get an investor in unrecognized republics

But Transnistria has everything you need. In this disputed territory there are Dubossary hydroelectric power plants on the Dniester, three mini-TPPs in Tiraspol, working on Russian gas and belonging to the Sheriff holding, as well as the Moldavian State District House. The Transnistria does not pay Gazprom for the gas consumed, and Moscow records the debt that exceeded $ 6 billion.

The son of Russian Prosecutor General Igor Chaika became interested in these necessary resources for mining. Tiraspol, in turn, did everything necessary to attract the attention of Russian oligarchs.

• Newsmaker explains: "In Transnistria, they legalized the production of cryptocurrencies and are waiting for Russian investors"

The project under the “Russian -language media network” was worked: Zaza Abashidze, Leonid Namenny, Ekaterina Kaminskaya, Natalia Marshalkovich, Nikolai Pakholnitsky, David Pipia, Olga Pokatilova, Zlatilova, Evgeny Savvateev, Daria Sapranetsk, Vitaliy Rugain, Maxim Eristavi.