Topic: [2017-10-19] Russian Bitcoin Tycoon Expands Into Africa (Read 174 times)
I guess he went out of Russia because he believes that the government of Putin is not friendly to bitcoin or blockchain. I think the guy is also brilliant because he see's that the future is really on blockchain. That's why he decided to get out and somewhat expand his business to Dubai and Africa which is very much friendly to crypto's. Nice move there Mr. Vladimir Smerkis. I think Russia just lost another main man in their country because they are really putting a hammer ban on bitcoin and crypo's for that matter but creating their own state sponsored CryptoRubble which only those Russias with huge amount of money can afford. Plus putting a 13% tax is another indication that they want to control that coin as well.
Russia is striving to lead the global blockchain movement, with President Vladimir Putin even eyeing the creation of a national cryptocurrency.
But the real work to spur the world blockchain economy is being implemented far beyond the walls of the Kremlin by small groups of private software engineers, who are working tirelessly in backrooms and cramped offices to usher in a financial evolution.
Vladimir Smerkis, the founder of The Token Fund, is one of a handful of visible figures to rise on the blockchain scene alongside Ethereum founder Vitalik Buterin and Bitcoin ambassador Andreas Antonopoulos. His fund, which opened in early 2017, runs on a software that manages the cryptocurrency assets of individuals, companies, and investment funds in Eastern Europe.
Smerkis, who is a former executive of Mail.Ru, recently opened an office in Dubai, UAE, to cover the Middle East, North Africa, and Sub-Saharan Africa.
His fund’s model has been so successful, so much that investors and hedge funds from South Africa to Switzerland have asked to white-label his system on their local markets.
The feedback got Vladimir and his team thinking. As opposed to licensing out the software to investment firms worldwide, he decided to build a turnkey platform for global users, Tokenbox.io, and scheduled a funding round for the project that’s set to take place next month.
I caught up with him earlier this week. He spoke to me about his vision for the future of cryptocurrencies, his company's plans for Africa, and how blockchain can change the world.
>>> https://www.forbes.com/sites/mfonobongnsehe/2017/10/19/russian-bitcoin-tycoon-expands-into-africa/#4de3b13314db
But the real work to spur the world blockchain economy is being implemented far beyond the walls of the Kremlin by small groups of private software engineers, who are working tirelessly in backrooms and cramped offices to usher in a financial evolution.
Vladimir Smerkis, the founder of The Token Fund, is one of a handful of visible figures to rise on the blockchain scene alongside Ethereum founder Vitalik Buterin and Bitcoin ambassador Andreas Antonopoulos. His fund, which opened in early 2017, runs on a software that manages the cryptocurrency assets of individuals, companies, and investment funds in Eastern Europe.
Smerkis, who is a former executive of Mail.Ru, recently opened an office in Dubai, UAE, to cover the Middle East, North Africa, and Sub-Saharan Africa.
His fund’s model has been so successful, so much that investors and hedge funds from South Africa to Switzerland have asked to white-label his system on their local markets.
The feedback got Vladimir and his team thinking. As opposed to licensing out the software to investment firms worldwide, he decided to build a turnkey platform for global users, Tokenbox.io, and scheduled a funding round for the project that’s set to take place next month.
I caught up with him earlier this week. He spoke to me about his vision for the future of cryptocurrencies, his company's plans for Africa, and how blockchain can change the world.
>>> https://www.forbes.com/sites/mfonobongnsehe/2017/10/19/russian-bitcoin-tycoon-expands-into-africa/#4de3b13314db
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