In an article published on 21 December the Central Asian news agency offered to pay its authors in bitcoin. After a question from CoinFox, it changed the wording of the article, emphasizing it won’t break Kyrgyz laws.

The article, written by the famous Kyrgyz bitcoin evangelist Daniil Vartanov and published by Sputnik Kyrgyzstan, a local branch of the Russia-based Sputnik international news agency, spoke about many possible uses of bitcoin by the citizens of the Central Asian country. The article also announced:

“Let us experiment. Sputnik will pay its authors in bitcoins if they are willing. Yes, yes, if we wish to be successful in five-ten years, we should start now.”

CoinFox wrote Sputnik to ask whether the announcement concerns just Sputnik Kyrgyzstan or the whole news empire publishing articles and making broadcasts in thirty different languages. However, after receiving the letter from CoinFox, the news agency changed the wording of the passage. Now it says:

“If it were allowed, Sputnik could pay its authors in bitcoins if they are willing. Yes, yes, if we wish to be successful in five-ten years, we should start now.”

CoinFox also received an answer that can be read below:

“Good day, colleagues!

To answer your request, the Sputnik Press Service announces:

Texts by Sputnik Kyrgyzstan containing information about cryptocurrencies, including bitcoins, are a part of the study made by our editorial staff to survey the public attitude towards actual problems.

In our article, we made an incorrect statement.

Thank you for your attention to our texts. We made a change to the wording of the article.

We consider it important to tell you that all the financial actions of Sputnik Kyrgyzstan are guided by the laws currently in force in the territory of the Republic of Kyrgyzstan. All the payments to our staff are also made according to the laws of the Republic of Kyrgyzstan.”

Alexey Tereshchenko