Crecimiento

Status

2025

Ipe News:

• VC-funded and tokenized SEZs, good idea??

"A controversy about the development of the Digital Special Economic Zone (DSEZ) in Argentina erupted last week. A leaked pitch deck surfaced online showing the non-profit Crecimiento had plans to start a for-profit to run the zone infrastructure, prompting a wave of references to the $LIBRA scandal (February’s launch of a memecoin promoted by Milei).

Crecimiento quickly clarified that no token was being launched and that the private company would be the operator of the DSEZ, as has been done in other places like the UAE or Estonia. However, the situation intensified when one of their former directors and the founder of QuarkID resigned, explaining he didn’t approve of the direction to create a for-profit company with a token.

After many hard-to-verify allegations, Crecimiento released an official statement summarizing all the benefits the non-profit brought to Argentina, and its continued work towards building Argentina’s future, transparently and collaboratively.

Many startup city founders came to the defense of the strategy, arguing that public–private partnerships are a common way to operate special economic zones. They also claimed that allowing experimentation with tokens is not only acceptable but desirable, since crypto is part of the movement’s DNA.

One thing is for sure: building at the crossroads of community and politics is no easy feat. Make sure to join Devconnect this year to see how things turn out."

(https://news.peerbase.xyz/p/ipe-news-11-crecimiento-drama-pensiev)