Solana Company to help Kazakhstan build blockchain megacity

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Kazakhstan build blockchain megacity

Cooperation details

The cooperation between Solana Company and Alatau City will cover four areas: digital asset treasury management, blockchain infrastructure, acceleration of institutional blockchain adoption and platform development.

Alisher Abdykadyrov, CEO of the Alatau City Authority, said the memorandum also provides for Solana Company’s participation in the development of the Alatau Crypto Cluster. This is a dedicated pilot zone and special economic area in the future city where cryptocurrency will be allowed for everyday payments.

The Alatau City megaproject was first presented to an international audience by Kazakhstan President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev in May 2024. The city is currently still mainly in the early stages of development and planning.

The project’s authors want to create a full-scale smart city where low-altitude aircraft, robotaxis and autonomous drones will be used for urban transport and delivery. According to the plan, the city’s economy will run on hydrogen energy.

During Solana Summit Kazakhstan 2026, Arman Tastanbekov, deputy CEO of the Alatau City Authority, said Alatau City would be built from the start using artificial intelligence, digital identity and blockchain technologies.

However, the project also faces difficulties. According to The Diplomat, Kazakhstan’s National Bank and Financial Monitoring Agency expressed concerns over possible constitutional changes that may be needed to support a crypto-based economy.

Other independent media outlets reported that current residents of Alatau City still face shortages of gas, water, electricity and internet access. This shows that the futuristic city is still far from full implementation.

Failed attempt

Kazakhstan has already tried to become a global crypto industry hub before. After China banned mining in 2021, miners moved to the country en masse, attracted by affordable electricity and proximity to Chinese infrastructure. At one point, Kazakhstan was among the largest countries by share of the global Bitcoin hashrate, and the local market looked like one of the main beneficiaries of the Chinese exodus.

However, the country failed to preserve that status. Authorities began tightening rules, introducing additional requirements for miners and moving crypto business into more controlled formats. For some market participants, this model proved too strict: few wanted to work only in special zones and under constant supervision. As a result, many companies that had come to Kazakhstan during the mining boom began looking for more predictable jurisdictions.

As a reminder, a year earlier, Kazakhstan and Solana joined forces to create a special Web3 zone.

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