Putting Kazakhstan on the crypto mining map

An interview with Yerbol Zhakupov, MineBest’s Kazakhstan CEO responsible for business development in this country.

What does your role at MineBest in Kazakhstan involve?

I organize all the processes and operations. I am building a network of contacts and business partners for our cryptocurrency operations. I also establish connections with governmental agencies, electricity providers and contractors. In short, I represent the company here. You could say that I am the coordinator and representative of MineBest in Kazakhstan.

What do you like about your job?

I like getting to meet interesting people all around the world. Every day I get to learn something new. Quite often there is a challenge which we need to find a solution to. When we achieve it, it feels satisfying. In general, I like my work to contribute to building infrastructure, and I like seeing the results of my work.

When did you start your adventure with crypto? How did it happen?

I started my adventure with crypto when I joined MineBest in March 2018. We built a small cryptocurrency mining farm for a client. In the company there were only three people at that time who helped design the farm and organize the process, and I managed the construction of this farm in Kazakhstan.

For installation and commissioning, Eyal Avramovich, MineBest CEO, came to Kazakhstan again and led the process. We showed local engineers and technicians how to set up the miners, how to connect everything, how to create wallets etc. We did everything with our hands to show those guys, and that’s what I mean that a leader should lead by example.

Basically, during the construction of the very first mining farm I started to learn what crypto is and how it works. After completing the first project for our client we started to build farms for ourselves. And that’s how we started growing. From that moment we started doing great things.

What are your passions and/or hobbies?

My recent passion is triathlon, even though I haven’t completed a single race yet. But for now, I have done a few half-marathons, 10Ks and I try to ride my bicycle whenever I can. My goal is to complete the Ironman race in the next couple of years. It’s a series of long-distance triathlon races, consisting of a swim, a bicycle ride and a marathon run. It’s more than 225 kilometres to go and one of the toughest sports challenges in the world.

What is the most important quality of a good leader?

I believe that a good leader is a great motivator. It’s important for a leader to believe in what they do, be passionate about it and lead others by example.

What valuable experience have you had in MineBest? What did you learn?

Through working with the MineBest team, and particularly with Eyal, I learned that it is important to believe in what you do, be passionate about it and be persistent. During the time I have been with MineBest I have met many people from different parts of the world and, by talking to them, I became more open-minded, more motivated to develop personally and professionally.

Where do you see yourself in five years?

By then I hope to have completed at least a couple of Ironman races (ideally one in Kona, Hawaii)! In five years I imagine myself giving an interview for Forbes, as one of their featured managers, explaining how we have developed MineBest — a successful, multinational fintech company, and how we put Kazakhstan on the map of the digital mining industry.