How did Kazakhstan become a virtual currency power in half a year? BBC goes deep into giant mine
“This sound excites me, it’s the sound of money, money in the electronic world.”
Young Ye Bolsen could not hide his excitement when he heard the whirring sound of his mines worth 300 million US dollars.
He is based in Kazakhstan, which in just 6 months has become a powerhouse in Bitcoin mining. Earlier this year, anti-government demonstrations in the country sent bitcoin prices plummeting, drawing attention to the country’s pivotal influence over the world‘s virtual currencies.
This influence turned out to be related to China’s virtual currency policy.
But for the government and environmentalists, this industry, which is turning a stone into gold, is an increasingly thorny problem.
BBC reporter Joe Teddy went to the world‘s largest mine to find out.
Cinematography, Director and Production: Natalia Left
Video Editing: Amanda Gunn
Translator and Liaison: Danara Ismetova
Drone Operations: Oman Lismuhanov
Executive Producers: Claire Williams, Inga Lafric, Stephen Mulvey