Eastern Europe / Tech
Crypto token launched in Kyrgyzstan by Moldovan oligarch facilitates sanctions-dodging billions for Russia, says report
“A7A5” said to be first stablecoin pegged to ruble. Russian defence sector bank also behind it.
Deloitte EMEA Fast 500 Technology ranking brims with Turkish, CEE and SEE startups
Top entry from Turkey is Novi Robot, a maker of automation systems for manufacturing plants.
International cybersecurity development foundation Cyberus and Al-Adid Business set up “Cyberdom” development hub in Qatar
Founded in Russia, Cyberus, an international cybersecurity development company, and Al-Adid Business signed a strategic partnership agreement to develop cybersecurity capabilities in Qatar.
Russia nationalises World of Tanks game developer
Russia has completed the nationalisation of the World of Tanks game developer Lesta Games, with the Tagansky District Court of Moscow ordering the seizure of the Russian assets of the company on the extremism charges, according to The Bell.
COMMENT: How Europe can win the digital nomad race
Record levels of immigration are dominating political debate in the world’s wealthiest countries. But there is a latent trend, still bubbling under the surface, which might soon occupy the minds of Western policymakers: emigration.
Data centre power use expected to increase 20-fold in next five years
The first data centres consumed as much power as 20,000 homes, but the largest today use the same amount of power as100,000 homes, and are on track to burn up 5mn households' worth of power by 2030 – the same amount of power that Japan consumes.
Iran, Russia launch second phase of banking payment system integration
Iran and Russia rolled out the second phase of their Shetab-Mir payment network integration, strengthening financial ties between the two nations
InDrive pioneering a sustainable "fair" ride-hailing business
The Siberia-born InDrive ride-hailing service is doing something special. It cut margins, offers the cheapest prices possible and is generous to its largely freelance staff. IIt is pioneering a new "fair" business model that works.
Sanctions have spurred innovation from Russian cheese to turbines
Extreme sanctions placed on Russia hit industrial sectors the hardest, which have been almost entirely dependent on imports of high quality foreign made machinery for almost all of the last three decades since the fall of the Soviet Union.
Russian state takes over yet another e-commerce leader, online marketplace Avito
Russia’s state-owned Rosselkhozbank agricultural bank has acquired a 50% stake in Avito, the country’s largest classifieds platform, as part of a broader trend of strategic e-commerce acquisitions by the state.
Russia's IT sector fears re-entry of Western competitors
As discussions intensify around the possible return of Western companies to Russia, the domestic IT industry is increasingly concerned that renewed competition from foreign firms could deal a serious low to local tech players.