DistributedLab co-founder: Ukraine’s Bitcoin and blockchain market has low barriers to entry

Dr. Pavel Kravchenko is now an advisor to the decentralized platform Decent and a co-founder of DistributedLab. He has made a great contribution to increasing the visibility of Bitcoin and blockchain in Ukraine by giving lectures, organizing conferences and meetups. Pavel is also an advocate and think tank for the BIP001 conference, which aims to increase the visibility of Bitcoin and blockchain among the Ukrainian people and build bridges between the Ukrainian, EU and US markets. CoinTelegraph is a partner media of this conference. Pavel was interviewed by CoinTelegraph to talk about some of the main issues affecting the Ukrainian crypto industry.

CT: How difficult is it to promote Bitcoin and blockchain in Ukraine? What problems do these technologies face in the country?

Pavel Kravchenko:

Cryptocurrency itself is very popular in Ukraine. There are many application scenarios, such as payment, freelancers, investment and offshore transactions.

“It’s one of the easiest payment methods, and Ukraine is also ahead in buying and selling Bitcoin. So it’s easy to enter the market here.”

Regarding blockchain, I think it’s too early to say that there will be major progress. The technology is still very new and not well understood here, but we are gradually learning more about it. The Odessa government plans to hold the first real estate auction on the blockchain. This is just part of a larger project to build the first e-government system. There are many more projects that can promote the use of blockchain in Ukraine, but it will take time.

As for the problem, I see only one - lack of knowledge about Bitcoin and blockchain. Many people don't even know that this technology exists. That's why I organize educational events and public lectures, which can increase the awareness of Bitcoin and blockchain among people. At the same time, it will help to accelerate the adoption of Bitcoin and make it a popular payment method in Ukraine. One of the reasons is that Bitcoin can be easily converted into US dollars, which allows payments in the business field without considering the exchange rate.

Our crypto market is still very young, but there are already several reliable trading platforms available. KUNA and UTBS provide reliable and easy-to-use services to users, and there are other platforms that also work well.

CT: What does the Ukrainian government think about Bitcoin and blockchain? Are banks friendly to these innovations?

PK:

The government and banks tend to be conservative about Bitcoin and blockchain. The market share is too small to attract their attention. But there are still some general controls on the status of Bitcoin in Ukraine.

First, there is still controversy over the status of Bitcoin. Is it an electronic currency? This question has led to many controversial topics, such as whether it should be taxed or licensed? In addition, representatives of the Ukrainian security department often visit Bitcoin business people because cryptocurrency is the most vulnerable financing method for terrorists.

“But on the other hand, there are many projects that have shown a bright future for Bitcoin in Ukraine. Also, there are no regulations or laws restricting its development, so this is the right time.”

CT: Everyone is talking about Ukraine joining the EU. Will this also have an impact on the crypto industry in Ukraine? Do you have any connections with other markets in other countries?

PK:

If you are talking about technology, then of course there is a connection. Ukrainian developers and companies actively cooperate with foreign partners to provide solutions for Bitcoin and blockchain. We have developed many projects in cooperation with foreign companies. In fact, Ukraine is well-known in this regard. Many companies are looking for Ukrainian developers.

If it is e-commerce, then it has no commercial relationship with other markets. The main reason is that regulatory policies vary greatly from country to country. We need the same or almost the same rules everywhere to cooperate successfully. But that seems unlikely because different countries have different attitudes towards Bitcoin.

CT: Which Ukrainian companies are providing Bitcoin and blockchain solutions to solve the crypto industry problems in Ukraine?

PK:

There are many, actually. DistributedLab is very active in this direction. It has 17 members, all of whom are involved in different projects around the world. Mike Chobanyan has done a little bit in developing blockchain solutions, he is the head of the Innovex project. Ambisafe started working in Ukraine and now has an office. There are many other well-known companies, but most of them are reluctant to mention that they have headquarters or offices in Ukraine.

“I estimate that Ukraine has more development centers than any other European country. Maybe we cannot brag about startups, as there are too few of them, but we are certainly leaders in solution development. Also, Ukraine has the largest Bitcoin community in Eastern Europe.”

We may see Ukraine providing a good environment for Bitcoin and blockchain. Without government or regulatory restrictions, this technology has a bright future and sooner or later we will have the opportunity to integrate with the European market.

Original article: http://cointelegraph.com/news/115764/dr-pavel-kravchenko-ukraines-blockchain-and-bitcoin-market-is-easy-to-enter
By Lana Smiley
Translator: gsj
Reward address: 1DHs7hZMdx6tgUHdqXiub3XrovrF6Pte7y
Editor: printemps
Source (translation): Babbitt Information (http://www.8btc.com/ukraines-bitcoin-market)