March 4, Pozirk. Alaksandar Łukašenka has instructed Energy Minister Alaksiej Kušnarenka to develop cryptocurrency mining in Belarus following the US President Donald Trump’s announcement of plans to create a strategic crypto reserve.
“Look at this mining thing. More and more people are approaching me. If it is profitable, let’s do it,” the Belarusian ruler’s press office quoted him as saying. “We have a surplus of electricity. Let them produce this cryptocurrency and whatever. You see where the world is heading and especially its largest economy.”
“Well, maybe we could do it too. We attract some investors, sell them electricity. . . but we can do it ourselves. There are such proposals. I think you’ll get over this red tape and report on what should be done,” he told Kušnarenka, noting that demand for cryptocurrency will grow.
Last year, Łukašenka banned the purchase and sale of cryptocurrencies outside Belarusian cryptocurrency exchanges. Recently, he claimed that Belarus was developing its cryptocurrency.
Regime opponents use cryptocurrencies to donate to solidarity foundations and Ukrainian military units.
