Geopolitics of the Cryptocurrency Mining in Kazakh Steppes, by Hugo Estecahandy

Hugo Estecahandy, PHD student at GEODE, shared some of its initial research from its fieldwork in Kazakhstan in a DIGISILK (Digital Silk Road).

In 2021, China’s cryptocurrency mining ban triggered a shift on its global geography. Many processors relocated to North America or Siberia while others moved to Kazakhstan. Northern Kazakhstan, and it powerful coal-fired power plants, became a mining hotspot, leading to large facilities while smaller ones have been built in the south. However, this rapid growth strained energy resources, causing power cuts and revealing infrastructure weaknesses and political stakes linked to this alternative digital activity.

>> To know more about Hugo’s research, click here ! <<