The results of this effort would, of course, have no legal weight in Russia and would not end Putin’s presidency per se, but the referendum could, in theory, give a public relations boost to efforts to oust him. And it gives Russians a way to voice criticism in a nation where the consequences of dissent can be high; opposition leader Alexei Navalny recently died while jailed in an Arctic penal colony.
![Exiled Russian Opposition Leader Launches Blockchain-Based Referendum on Vladimir Putin’s Election Win Exiled Russian Opposition Leader Launches Blockchain-Based Referendum on Vladimir Putin’s Election Win](https://www.coindesk.com/resizer/YLYZkzgQySRQhPGdF7SWNcqyQaY=/1200x628/center/middle/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/coindesk/LUFPBMBULZGDJNSFJJMUP4HF6Y.jpg)