When 'cryptocurrency can buy coffee' is no longer just a joke, but part of a national project, are we standing at the crossroads of an era?

Kazakhstan's President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev announced that the country plans to launch 'CryptoCity', a pilot zone that allows the use of cryptocurrency to pay for goods and services. This news was revealed in an announcement on the president's official website on May 29.

Speaking at the Astana International Forum in 2025, Tokayev stated that the pilot zone will be used to explore the adoption of cryptocurrency in a regulated sandbox environment.

'We plan to create an innovative pilot zone called CryptoCity, where cryptocurrency can be used to purchase goods, services, and even for broader purposes,' he said in his speech, which has been published in full on the president's official website.

Recently, Kazakhstan has announced several initiatives related to cryptocurrency. The country's First Deputy Minister of Digital Development, Kanysh Tuleushin, stated this month that if regulatory restrictions are eased, Kazakhstan has the potential to become the leading crypto center in Central Asia. In 2024, Kazakhstan launched a central bank digital currency pilot project, which reportedly shortened the waiting time for value-added tax refunds.