Lukashenko advises Belarusians to mine cryptocurrencies rather than pick strawberries abroad
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President Alexander Lukashenko advised workers to stay in their home country and not to occupy agricultural sites in Poland and Germany. The Belarusian leader pointed to an alternative source of income and noted that there is enough electricity in Belarus to power cryptocurrency mining.
Lukashenko is urging Belarusian workers to build mining farms and not work on foreign farms
During a meeting at the state-owned company JSC Belaruskali, one of the world’s largest producers of potash fertilizers, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko called on employees to use the available excess electricity to mine cryptocurrencies. The head of state also noted that Belarusian workers abroad, in addition to agricultural jobs, do not need.
“We have to understand, they are not waiting for us anywhere. And if somewhere, then on the plantations, “Lukashenko said in video published by Telegram channel Пул Первого. His speech was quoted by Forklog and the Russian business news portal RBC.
The Belarusian leader visited Pietrykaw, a city in the southern Gomel region, where he also attended the grand opening of the mining and processing plant. In his speech, the President pointed out that there are many empty industrial areas in the area and called on the audience to use the available space and enough energy, for example, to build greenhouses. He then added:
“Create something on electricity. Maybe start mining the cryptocurrency or as it is called. There is enough electricity in the country. ”
Belarus legalized cryptocurrency business, including mining, with a presidential decree that entered into force in March 2018. In April 2019, Alexander Lukashenko suggested that BTC farms using excess electricity could be built at a nuclear power plant in the Grodno region on the Lithuanian border.
In November last year, the country’s largest banking institution, Belarusbank, launched a service that allows users to buy and sell digital currencies using a Visa card. However, during a meeting with senior government officials in March this year, the President of Belarus indicated a tightening of the regulatory framework for controlling the use of cryptocurrencies, citing China’s experience in building a digital society as an example.
