On this warm day in late March 2022, a security guard walks past 10 shipping containers filled with thousands of state-of-the-art computers. They hum in the midday heat. Suddenly, something lit up on the horizon. Adjusting his beret, he scrambled up to cover the nearest dirt road as the Cessna turned.
The plane soon touched down on a very steep and short runway, and the pilot, Emmanuel de Merode, a 52-year-old park manager, flew in for a routine inspection. De Merod held the leather strap of the bag in one hand; Others saluted the guards, who stood bare-chested in the sun. Clean-shaven and grey-haired, he is the only unarmed man. Behind him, the wings of the Cessna were riddled and riddled with bullets.
De Merod barked at the boat, 40 feet long and chrome green. Inside, surrounded by cables, laptops and body odor, a team of technicians in web vests keep watch over the mine.
Throughout the day, these machines solve complex math problems and are rewarded with thousands of dollars in digital currencies. They are powered by a massive hydroelectric power plant in the foothills, making these pots a 21st-century cathedral of green technology surrounded by lush rainforest.
In many ways, the existence of this operation is very challenging. Being in a volatile region known for rampant corruption and deforestation, and where foreign investment such as power grids and stable government is rare, presents many challenges. “Internet connection problems, weather conditions affecting production, isolated work,” recalls Jonas Mbavumoza, 24, a graduate of nearby Goma University who works at the mine. Dozens of rebel groups are also threatening nearby. Violence is the order of the day here, and years of militia activity, rocket attacks and knife attacks have left a deep trauma.
This is a turning point for the oldest conservation park in Africa. After four years of outbreaks, pandemic lockdowns and bloodshed, Birunga is in dire need of funds and the region yearns for opportunity. The Congolese government provides about 1% of the park's operating budget, making it largely self-sufficient. That is why Virunga is highly dependent on cryptocurrencies.