The National Bank of Ukraine (the NBU) has issued a new commemorative silver coin entitled “The Digital State” to celebrate Ukraine’s achievements in the fields of digital technology and innovation. This coin was presented by NBU Governor Andriy Pyshnyy during the UAFIN.TECH 2024 conference, which brought together representatives of the financial and technological sectors, along with those of state regulators, to discuss current trends in the country’s innovative development.
“Ukraine is demonstrating that digital transformation is a necessary step in the development of modern states,” said Pyshnyy. “And even in the midst of war, we continue our journey towards new technologies, breaking down barriers between people and services, both public and financial. I’m grateful for this to everyone who contributes to the development of a digital Ukraine, and especially to our partners at the Ministry of Digital Transformation. Together we have implemented many projects that have made financial services simpler, more convenient, and more inclusive. I’m confident that there are many more interesting digital initiatives and breakthrough ideas ahead that will forever change the paradigm of interaction between the state, businesses and people.”
“In 2019, our team began to implement the president’s idea to build a digital state so that services could be received online and without (the involvement of) officials,” said Mykhailo Fedorov, Deputy Prime Minister for Innovations and the Development of Education, Science and Technologies and Minister of Digital Transformation. “We realized that digitalization would radically change the country. In five years, Ukraine has become a country where public services can be obtained in a few clicks, without paperwork and bureaucracy. Even in the midst of a full-scale war, we continued to launch services and projects that simplify people’s lives. Today, more than 21 million Ukrainians already use (the e-governance application) Diia. More than 30 services are available in the app, and more than 125 more are available on the portal. And Ukrainian govtech solutions are already being actively studied in other countries.”
Coin Design
Obverse: in the center is Ukraine’s small coat of arms surrounded by an electronic circuit board. This combination symbolizes Ukraine as a single digital system, a monolithic and integral state that has integrated all aspects of its citizens’ lives using the latest technologies. This board shows the symbolic unification of the west, east, south, and north of the country under a single coat of arms, emphasizing the country’s technological unity.
Reverse: there is a schematic map of Ukraine created from binary code digits. This code is not random – it encrypts the name UKRAINE (depicted vertically to the left), which can be deciphered by tracing the path from each individual letter to the corresponding sequence of numbers. Beneath, to the right is the legend ЦИФРОВА ДЕРЖАВА (digital state) with an arrow (mouse cursor) pointing to it. The composition stands for the foundation of the digital world, stressing the importance of technology for the country’s development.
This coin was designed by Andrii Sahach.
Sales of the new coin
This coin was issued into circulation on 13 December 2024. This square-shaped coin has a face value of 10 hryvnias and a fine weight of 31.1 g, and is made of silver Ag 999. The coin’s edge is smooth. The mintage of the coin is up to 7,500 units.
This coin will be sold through the NBU’s online numismatic store from 9 January 2025, as well as through distributing banks (the list of these banks can be found on the NBU’s official website). You can find more details about the starting date of sales on the official website of the NBU’s online numismatic store and on the official websites of the distributing banks.