Cryptocurrency Production in the Transnistrian Region: The Actors and Beneficiaries Involved
Automatically translated summary. The full article is available in Romanian.
An investigation carried out under an Independent Think Tank “Expert-Grup” project examines cryptocurrency mining in Moldova’s Transnistrian region. It finds that the main beneficiaries are the Sheriff holding and a former Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs employee, with the business supported by cheap electricity produced on Russian gas supplied on credit.
The state-owned company Tehnopark brokers electricity sales at dumping tariffs of 3.8–4.3 cents, with the Cuciurgan power plant running at only 17% capacity. Expert Sergiu Tofilat estimates that of the USD 71.1 million of gas needed for the revenues Tiraspol announced, USD 15.5 million would reach the budget and USD 55.6 million the miners. Tehnopark’s director, Veaceslav Cernikevici, belongs to the circle of Sheriff owner Victor Gușan.
Equipment came through firms linked to Sheriff, such as Tirastel GmbH, and the offshore Goweb International, which signed a contract worth almost USD 8.7 million via Latvia’s ABLV Bank. Goweb is led by Nikita Morozov, a former Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs employee. The customs case ended with most suspects cleared. Moldova’s authorities say they are monitoring the issue.
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