The Freedom Curtalis
Kazakhstan does not discuss artificial intelligence, it applies it. Artificial intelligence is not treated as a trend but is recognized as a key economic and institutional driving force of the country's development.
Digital dominance and technological leadership depend on how quickly a country can adopt innovation. Kazakhstan has already established itself as one of the world leaders in GovTech. The next important goal is to go from a "digital" state to a "smart" state and invest significantly and quickly in it. Unlike the debates in Europe on AI, on moral frameworks and regulatory ambitions, the largest economy in Central Asia has quickly gone through execution.
Besides, Kazakhstan records very strong growth rates, with 2025 running by 6.5% and this year it is forecast to move to 4.6% even in a difficult external environment. Macroeconomic stability remains strong, with international reserves increasing by 23.8% in 2025 reaching $196.5 billion, including $62.9 billion in National Fund assets. Kazakhstan also maintains a low level of public debt: for more than ten years, the debt-to-GDP ratio remained stable close to 25%.
Economic diversification is at the heart of Kazakhstan's government. The new development model strengthens the role of manufacturing and high technology industries. The share of processing in GDP increased from 11.3% in 2010 to 12.7% in 2025, while the share of mining industries nearly fell to half – from 19.5% to 11.9%.
To accelerate investment growth, the government plans to increase the ratio of investment to GDP to 23% by 2029. This will attract an additional $120 billion, raising total investment to $400 billion over five years, focusing on the digital platform and regional investment centres.
By incorporating Artificial Intelligence into both public bodies and private businesses, Kazakhstan does not just adopt new tools. It is characteristic that over 90% of public services in Kazakhstan are online, 87% of transactions are done without cash, medical records have been fully digitized, optimizing healthcare services, as he noted. Kazakhstan's Minister of Artificial Intelligence and Digital Development, Zaslan MandiyevKazakhstan rapidly promotes its digital transformation, aiming at full digitization within three years. At the same time, it redefines the mechanisms through which decisions are formed and executed, and makes AI the most important "part" of its economy.
Kazakhstan's Silicon Valley
Critical role in promoting Kazakhstan's technological progress plays Astana Hub, which is the country's Silicon Valley and is the priority project for its digital modernisation. Since 2018, in Astana Hub, the largest international innovation complex in Central Asia, an ecosystem has been created that provides acceleration services, supports technological business incubation, offers educational programs and hosts a variety of events. Currently, Astana Hub hosts more than 1,850 IT companies, including over 470 foreign members, all of which are faced with zero taxation.
Within Astana Hub is the Tomorrow School, a peer-to-peer School of Artificial Intelligence, in which free students attend not only from the country but also from other parts of the world, which are also provided with free accommodation.
Astana Hub is hosted along with other centers and buildings such as the Ministry of AI and Digital Development, the financial centre (AIFC) and the Astana stock exchange, the International Exhibition Centre and the Business Center, in a 200,000 square meters area, where is also the first International Centre for Artificial Intelligence in Central Asia, ALEM AI.
ALEM AI which is bullet-shaped extends to eight floors, combining education and innovation in Artificial Intelligence is a key platform for research and education, newly created businesses and international cooperation in the field of artificial intelligence.
Another domestic innovation is Aleem, an application to learn languages with artificial intelligence, while, among other things, Kazakhstan has also developed its own language model AlemLLM and a ChatGPT-type system called Oylan. In support of these models, Kazakhstan developed its own national supercomputer, Alem.Cloud (based on the latest NVIDIA H200 processors) which ranks in 86th place on the TOP500 list of the most powerful computer systems in the world.
Kazakhstan progresses with large-scale project Data Center Valley in Ekibastuz, in the Pavlodar region, with the aim of creating the largest data center in Central Asia with an energy capacity of up to 1 gigawatt. The project envisages a gradual expansion of computing infrastructure, including the construction of four data centres centered on Artificial Intelligence, a capacity of 50 megawatts each. Once fully operational it is expected to establish Kazakhstan as a regional hub for digital infrastructure and computing capacity, attract investment and create high-skilled jobs.
The Freedom Inside Forum 2026
The Capital.gr-Forbes visited Astana Hub, ALEM AI and the financial center of Astana as it was found in Kazakhstan's Futurist capital in the context of Freedom Inside Forum 2026, a digital ecosystem forum – a platform of discussion dedicated to the future of technology, business and digital services, which took place at the Palace of Independence.
The event gathered more than 3,000 participants, over 30 speakers and hosted more than 20 debates and presentations, brought into contact shareholders, entrepreneurs, investors, government officials, representatives of creative industries and technology companies on a single platform, while having interactive zones and displays of digital solutions and opportunities for professional networking.
In addition to being one of the most important corporate gatherings the organizer Freedom Holding Corp. To date, the most important was the strategic message that passed: Freedom is not just a technologically advanced provider of financial services, but creates the infrastructure of a fully integrated digital ecosystem.
Since its introduction to Nasdaq in 2019 its share has been ejected by 960%, it now serves more than 11 million customers worldwide and operates in more than 20 countries, including Greece, a growth due to the gradual construction of a multi-level digital ecosystem.
Implementation Freedom SuperApp, Particularly popular in Kazakhstan, it has developed rapidly, from 40,000 to over 5 million users in less than three years, with 4.3 million actively using financial services and 0.7 million using non-financial services. The app offers banking, stock exchange, insurance and lifestyle services, attracting up to 10,000 new users daily. As noted under Freedom Inside Forum 2026, through application one can obtain a housing loan within 24 hours. "This is not a business complex. It is a platform integrated into people's everyday lives at many levels at once." This model opens doors not only in Kazakhstan. Turkey and Europe as a whole are markets on a completely different scale, but with similar demand: for infrastructure on which one can trust.
Close to obtaining a bank licence in France
Freedom has reached a stage where its ecosystem is now a potentially exported model. Europe, with its size and complexity, is the logical next step and the ultimate test. In this context, the company actively explores the possibility of obtaining a bank licence in France, as it said Evgeni Tiapkin, Executive Director, Freedom24.
In 2026, Freedom reportedly aims to acquire a French bank. The French government has even chosen Freedom Holding to participate in the June annual meeting with foreign investors and provides strong support for its plans in the country.
The Czech Republic, Romania and Portugal should be recognised as key growth markets for 2026-2027, while Freedom also progresses in the development of its operational infrastructure including its planned membership as a member of Euronext, Frankfurt Stock Exchange and Stuttgart Stock Exchange, as well as the expansion of the service ecosystem. The aim is to develop from the model of traditional stock broker to a wider financial ecosystem oriented to the customer.
The European Parliament has been given the opportunity to give its opinion on this matter. Managing Director of Freedom Holding Corp, Timur Turlov. If the company manages to bridge both regulatory and consumer gaps, it can introduce a new competitive dynamic to the global fintech market, which is defined not only by better products but also by a deeper integration into all financial and numerous digital services.
