In what some have called a “watershed” moment for bitcoin, Bloomberg reports that a company co-owned by an aide to Russian President Vladimir Putin is seeking to expand Russia’s bitcoin-mining industry, leveraging Russia's cheap energy to rival China as the world’s largest mining market.
The company, known as Russian Miner Coin, or RMC, is seeking to raise $100 million in an initial coin offering, promising buyers a right to 18% of the company’s mining revenue, according to a presentation cited by Bloomberg.
“Russian Miner Coin is holding a so-called initial coin offering, where investors will use units of Ethereum or bitcoin to buy new RMC tokens. These new tokens will have rights to 18 percent of the revenue earned with the company’s mining equipment, according to a presentation posted on its website.”
According to Brian Kelly, a frequent CNBC contributor, the announcement is a “watershed” development in the history of bitcoin because it suggests that Putin recognizes the value of the pioneering digital currency as a reserve asset. The Russian president has already expressed an interest in blockchain technology – particularly Ethereum. In June, he met with Ethereum founder Vitalik Buterin on the sidelines of the St. Petersburg Economic Forum and offered his support for Buterin’s plans to help local partners adopt the technology in Russia.