Stat of the day

Tens of thousands of tech workers have fled Belarus amid accusations of election fraud and police violence against protesters. The exodus was exacerbated by Belarus facilitating Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. According to a survey carried out last summer by Imaguru Hub, 78% of Belarusian startup founders had moved out of the country, with a lack of access to funding and investors cited as a key concern.

YouTubers around the world have been accumulating millions of more subscribers by hiring companies to release their videos in other languages. One dubbing company, Unilingo, estimates it has generated nearly $10 million for creators by re-releasing their content, dubbed and circulated in different languages.

Police statistics show that nine out of 10 kidnappings in São Paulo in the past year have occurred after a date was arranged through Tinder and similar apps. The rise in scams has coincided with the widespread adoption of dating apps and mobile payment. Criminals use fake dating app profiles to lure unsuspecting targets to a private place, and then take their money using an instant QR payment method.

High taxes have almost killed the cryptocurrency ecosystem in India. Since April 2022, all income from virtual digital assets has been taxed at a hefty 30%, with an additional 1% charged as tax deducted at source for every transaction over 10,000 rupees ($121). Trading volumes across Indian cryptocurrency exchanges fell by around 70% after this tax regime was announced, according to crypto exchange Giottus.