Pavel Durov, former CEO of Russia’s social networking site VKontakte, has openly decried the treatment of cryptocurrencies by the country’s authorities.
Durov was fired from his position on 21 April, placing the network “under the ‘full control’ of Kremlin insiders,” The Moscow Times reported.
The implications behind the dismissal would appear to have incensed Durov, who subsequently spoke to BTC Russia about national currencies allowing governments to “cause the most pain to the poor and at the same time create the most inconspicuous taxation, constantly devaluing monthly salaries”.
His support for Bitcoin, which he says “prevents power from shearing the herd,” comes as the Russian Attorney General’s office described Bitcoin as a “surrogate currency”.
But in this case, happily, it is not all doom and gloom in Russia. It was announced yesterday that he has become a citizen of tropical St Kitts and Nevis, having contributed US$250,000 to the country’s sugar industry in February.