Exiled Russian Opposition Leader Launches Blockchain-Based Referendum on Vladimir Putin’s Election Win

As an analyst with a background in political science and experience living in Eastern Europe, I find Mark Feygin’s initiative to launch an anonymous, blockchain-powered referendum on Vladimir Putin’s election victory in Russia both intriguing and significant. This move comes amidst growing dissent against Putin’s authoritarian regime and the lack of free and fair elections in Russia.

I have observed that Vladimir Putin has recently secured a fifth term as the President of Russia, with an election result of 87%. This triumphant victory, however, has been criticized by many as prearranged, manipulated, and lacking authenticity.

As a crypto investor and follower of global news, I’m excited about the innovative approach taken by exiled Russian opposition leader Mark Feygin. He’s spearheading a project that enables Russians to cast an anonymous protest vote using blockchain technology. This means that individuals can express their dissent against Putin in a secure and decentralized manner. It’s a powerful demonstration of how technology can be harnessed for political change.

In Russia, the outcome of this initiative wouldn’t hold any legal significance and wouldn’t directly lead to Putin’s resignation. However, a referendum could potentially enhance the public image of those pushing for his removal. Moreover, it provides Russians with a relatively safe platform to express criticism in a country where dissent can carry severe repercussions. A notable example is opposition leader Alexei Navalny, who tragically passed away while imprisoned in a remote penal colony.

The voting process will take place through the Russia2024 application, developed with Rarimo’s Freedom Tool, which employs the Arbitrum blockchain and zero-knowledge encryption technology. This setup ensures that voters’ identities remain confidential.

“Feygin cautioned that opposing views in Russia are becoming increasingly perilous to express and gauging public sentiment is growing more complex. A fugitive from Russia since years past, Feygin was designated a foreign agent in 2022 and remains a target of Russian authorities. He previously represented the founders of the protest group Pussy Riot as their lawyer. According to him, it’s essential to establish secure channels for protests and surveys that evade surveillance. Russia2024 and its advanced technology offer this functionality,”.

Individuals in possession of Russian passports are the only ones eligible to participate in voting. Approximately 34.6 million such passports are currently valid.

To use the Russia2024 app for voting, users must first download it and authenticate their citizenship by scanning their passports using their mobile devices. The passports contain biometric data which the application verifies to identify the voter and ensure an anonymous ballot. For individuals without a smartphone, a communal device will serve as a shared voting station.

The tool’s creators are confident that voting will be open for approximately two weeks, and they assure users that the process is secure. There’s no reason for voters to harbor concerns about potential reprisals.

After Navalny’s passing, people took to the streets to demonstrate, intending to cast their votes as a response to the anticipated outcome. Lasha Antadzem, a Freedom Tool co-founder with past collaborations with the Ukrainian administration on digitizing state property privatization, commented: “Despite Navalny’s death, protests ensued, and individuals will vote as a countermeasure. The Freedom Tool and decentralized voting system are structured in such a way that no singular entity can be targeted for attack or sabotage. It is impossible to hack it just as one cannot manipulate Bitcoin.”

In the shadow of the war with Ukraine

Antadzem possesses citizenship documents from both Ukraine and Georgia as well. The anticipated triumph of Putin may provide him with the resources to prolong his conflict with Ukraine.

“Antadzem stated that we’re making this open-source tech accessible to all, not just Ukrainians or Georgians. It’s a collaborative effort, with even Russian cryptography experts contributing anonymously. This technology is seen as a defensive measure in times of conflict.”

In an interview with CoinDesk from London, Antadzem shared that the Russia2024 app was temporarily taken down from the Apple app store. However, he anticipates its return to the platform by this coming Friday. The application continues to be accessible on Google’s app store.

Throughout various parts of the globe, referendums have served diverse functions: expressing opposition in Canada, implementing particular policies in Switzerland, and allowing regions to decide on their continuance as part of a larger nation in the U.K.

As a crypto investor, I’d describe it this way: The primary application of this technology on a global scale is its ability to “verify authenticity with certainty.” It offers the potential to “reduce costs” associated with elections by an astounding “factor of ten.” Moreover, this technology holds promise for other nations as well. Antadzem made these points.