After Vladimir Putin’s victory in Russia’s recent presidential election, which many criticize as predetermined and lacking legitimacy, exiled opposition leader Mark Feygin is leading an effort to allow Russians to anonymously register a “protest vote” against Putin using blockchain technology.
The referendum led by locally wanted man Feygin, although lacking legal authority in Russia, aims to support efforts to challenge Putin’s presidency and provide a way for Russians to express dissent in a country where opposition can have serious consequences. This is particularly important following the recent death of opposition leader Alexei Navalny while in prison.
The voting will take place through the Russia2024 app, powered by Rarimo’s Freedom Tool, which uses the Arbitrum blockchain and zero-knowledge cryptography to ensure voters’ identities remain anonymous. Only Russian passport holders, estimated at around 34.6 million, will be able to participate.
To vote, users must download the Russia2024 app and verify their citizenship by scanning their passports, which have a biometric chip to confirm the voter’s identity and allow for an anonymous vote. The app’s creators are confident in the security of the voting process and believe voters do not need to fear repercussions.
Voting amidst the Ukraine war
Freedom Tool co-founder Lasha Antadze, who holds passports from Ukraine and Georgia and has worked with the Ukrainian government on digitizing state property privatization, highlighted the decentralized design of the voting system and its resistance to attacks or elimination.
While the Russia2024 app was temporarily removed from the Apple app store, it is expected to be reinstated and is currently available on Google’s app store.
This referendum comes at a time when Putin’s victory is anticipated to enable him to continue Russia’s war against Ukraine. Antadze emphasized that the app’s technology is open-source and has received contributions from anonymous cryptography professors in Russia, describing it as “wartime defense technology.”
Antadze believes this technology can ensure authenticity and reduce the cost of election-related voting processes in other countries as well:
We are sharing this open-source technology with everyone. It’s not just Ukrainians or Georgians working on it. We have received contributions from anonymous cryptography professors in Russia. It serves as a form of “wartime defense technology.”
A recent investigation suggests a potential connection between the FTX crypto exchange hack and Russia.
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