Europe
Ranked: most dangerous countries in the world 2023
The most dangerous countries in the world to visit in 2023 have been revealed in the latest Travel Risk Map The most dangerous countries to visit in 2023 are Afghanistan, Central African Republic, Iraq, Libya, Mali, Somalia, South Sudan, Syria, Ukraine and Yemen according to the latest Travel Risk Map, an interactive tool produced by security specialists at International SOS. The map is used to predict the safest and, conversely, the least safe countries in the world to visit and has four layers in total covering a country’s security risk, medical risk, and the impact of the pandemic on travel and domestic operations. For the security layer of the map, countries are indexed according to their travel security risk rating, which uses five risk definitions: insignificant, low, medium, ...
Going cashless: Norway’s digital currency project raises privacy questions
The small Nordic country of Norway may not be particularly notable on the global crypto map. With its 22 blockchain solution providers, the nation doesn’t stand out even at the regional level. However, as the race to test and implement central bank digital currencies (CBDCs) accelerates every day, the Scandinavian nation is taking an active stance on its own national digital currency. In fact, it was among the first countries to begin the work on a CBDC back in 2016. Dropping cash In recent years, amid a rise in cashless payment methods and concern over cash-enabled illicit transactions, some Norwegian banks have moved to remove cash options altogether. In 2016, Trond Bentestuen, then an executive at major Norwegian bank DNB, proposed to stop using cash as a means of payment in the c...
Cross-border crypto scammers on the hit list for EU agencies
By the end of 2022, scammers shifted their focus to duping crypto investors who desperately tried to recoup their year-long losses. An international law enforcement operation led by European government agencies joined crypto entrepreneurs and businesses to curb cross-border crypto scams since July 2022, uncovering a criminal network operating through call centers. Europol and Eurojust, two EU agencies for law enforcement cooperation, joined authorities from Bulgaria, Cyprus, Germany and Serbia to investigate online investment fraud since June 2022. The investigation identified a criminal network that incurred over $2.1 million in losses — primarily for German investors. Call centres selling fake crypto taken down in Bulgaria, Serbia & Cyprus. The criminal organisations lured victims to...
20 interesting facts about Georgia
We share the most interesting facts about Georgia, collected on a two-week trip through the transcontinental country Georgia may as well be called “Georgia, the country” thanks to its famous American counterpart. Unlike the US state, the country still feels uncharted. Bordered by Russia to the north, Azerbaijan to the east, Armenia and Turkey to the south, and the Black Sea to the west, Georgia is a land of deep green gorges, snow-capped summits and implausibly-placed medieval churches. It’s also a place of rich culture and history, as Peter discovered on his recent trip through the country. Below, he shares the most interesting facts about Georgia gathered on his two-week journey. Interesting facts about Georgia Georgia was home to Europe’s first known humans In the late 1990s and early 2...
Turkey has an obsession with crypto — Specifically Dogecoin: Study
The crypto market slump doesn’t mean interest in crypto is also down. A new study from the cryptocurrency education platform CryptoManiaks revealed that many countries are still scouring the internet, hungry for crypto-related information. According to the study, the Netherlands and Turkey take the top two spots, with 8.2% and 5.5% of the population, respectively, searching for crypto-related terms. Turkey particularly accounted for 4.7 million searches, leading the searches with sheer numbers. The study analyzed the combined number of searches for a select set of popular cryptocurrencies into a percentage of the population for each country in order to calculate the percentage of locals searching each month. While it was in second for overall searches, Turkey came in first place ...
10 best day trips from Yerevan, Armenia
From the world’s oldest winery to medieval monasteries, we share the best day trips from Yerevan, Armenia’s Pink City After trekking the Highlander Svaneti and exploring Kazbegi in Georgia, I had a few days before my flight home so I hopped across the border to Yerevan, the capital of Armenia. Known as the Pink City for the volcanic rock used in its state buildings, Yerevan is a city with many faces. With evidence of settlement dating back to the 8th century BC, Yerevan is one of the world’s oldest continually inhabited cities. While most of its ancient structures have now been removed, built over by Soviet-era tower blocks and monuments, the city still retains several alluring features – not least its position in the shadow of the fabled Mount Ararat. Today, following Armenian independenc...
9 best things to do in Kazbegi, Georgia
We share the best things to do in Kazbegi, Georgia’s spectacular northern frontier hiding in the clouds of the Caucasus After trekking the Highlander Svaneti, I headed for Kazbegi in northeastern Georgia. Surrounded on three sides by Russia and occupied South Ossetia, the nature-packed borderland is famed for its rich medley of deep green gorges, snow-capped summits and implausibly-placed medieval churches. The region’s main town is Stepantsminda (more commonly known as Kazbegi), huddled in the lee of the imposing Mt Kazbek which at 5,054m (16,581ft) is Georgia’s third-highest peak and the seventh-highest in the Caucasus Mountains. Unsurprisingly, hiking takes centre stage in this dramatic destination, with Stepantsminda the perfectly positioned gateway to the region’s mountains and valley...
Trekking the Highlander Svaneti in Georgia
Trekking the Highlander Svaneti offers an authentic taste of Georgia’s unspoilt northwest, a region as beautiful as it is remote Just 20 years ago, Svaneti was considered a danger zone. Today, with an embarrassment of snow-capped 4,000m peaks, enchanting villages dotted with tower houses and gleaming glaciers standing sentry over meadows of wildflowers, Svaneti is a paradise for hikers. Located in the remote northwest of Georgia, on the slopes of the mighty Caucasus Mountains near the border with Russia, wild and mysterious Svaneti has seen a tumultuous history including marauding Mongols and murderous blood feuds. Following independence in 1991, after the fall of the Soviet Union and the ensuing Georgian Civil War, the frontier region became a safe haven for criminals on the run. Atlas &a...
The state of crypto in Northern Europe: Hostile Scandinavia and vibrant Baltics
Despite the turbulence that broke out in the crypto market this summer, there is an important long-term marker that should be considered in any complex assessment — the combination of adoption and regulation. The latest report by EUBlockchain Observatory, named “EU Blockchain Ecosystem Developments,” tries to measure this combination within the European Union, combining the data on each and every member country from Portugal to Slovakia. As the original report counts more than 200 pages, Cointelegraph prepared a summary with the intent to capture the most vital information about the state of crypto and blockchain in Europe. Cointelegraph started from a group of countries that are usually labeled as Western European and continues with a review of Northern European states. Sweden Numbe...
Binance still serving Russians while seeking clarity on EU crypto sanctions
In the weeks following new sanctions from the European Union, Binance has kept its doors open for non-sanctioned Russian nationals, but that does not mean that the firm isn’t complying with EU sanctions, according to Binance’s newly-appointed sanctions executive. Western sanctions against Russia have been a major challenge for Binance from day one, and the firm has been working hard to comply, Binance’s global head of sanctions Chagri Poyraz told Cointelegraph in an interview. Since the start of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Binance has comprehensively blocked several non-government-controlled territories of Ukraine, including annexed regions like Donetsk and Luhansk, Poyraz said. “There is still an active war going on in the region,” he noted, adding that Binance continu...
Spain overtakes El Salvador to become third largest crypto ATM hub
The European country of Spain is officially home to the third-largest network of Bitcoin (BTC) and cryptocurrency ATMs after the United States and Canada. Spain currently hosts 215 crypto ATMs, pushing El Salvador — wi 212 crypto ATMs — down to the fourth position after surpassing the country by 3 crypto ATMs. Data from CoinATMRadar confirms that Spain represents 0.6% of the global crypto ATM installations. Crypto ATM distribution by continents and countries. Source: CoinATMRadar Moreover, the revelation places Spain as the highest contributor to crypto ATMs in Europe, which represents 14.65% of total installations in the continent, followed by Switzerland (144 ATMs), Poland (142 ATMs) and Romania (135 ATMs). Crypto ATM installation growth in Spain. Source: CoinATMRadar In 2022 alone...
Low hash price, soaring energy costs spell tough Q3 for Bitcoin miners
Energy problems in North America and Europe and prevailing market conditions have spelled another bleak quarter for Bitcoin (BTC) mining operators on both continents. The latest Q3 mining report from Hashrate Index has highlighted several factors that have led to a significantly lower hash price and higher cost to produce 1 BTC. Hash price is the measurement used by the industry to determine the market value per unit of hashing power. This is measured by dividing the dollar per terahash per second per day and is influenced by changes in mining difficulty and the price of BTC. As Hashrate Index reports, Bitcoin’s hash price was afforded some reprieve in the middle of Q3 as heat waves during the American summer led to a drop in hash rate, which corresponded with a slight BTC price recov...
