Europe’s Last Dictator Wants to Run a Global Crypto Hub
- Belarus leader creates tax-free hub for blockchain projects
- Authoritarian ex-Soviet state supports thriving tech industry
Alexander Lukashenko
Photographer: Sasha Mordovets/Getty Images EuropeThis article is for subscribers only.
Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko, who’s labored for years under the title of Europe’s last dictator, is making a bid for a shiny new image as the continent’s freewheeling cryptocurrency king.
Lukashenko, who’s ruled the former communist republic that’s wedged between Poland and Russia since 1994, signed a decree on Friday offering tax breaks and legal incentives for dealing in digital currencies in an effort to turn Belarus into an international tech haven.