After Kurmet, a hairdresser in Kazakhstan’s business capital, Almaty, finished a cut earlier this month, the customer reached for his phone to pay. This has been a standard scene for years. Kazakhs young and old have embraced banking apps with a passion. But things are changing. Kurmet had to say no on this occasion. “Sorry, brother, only cash, you understand, now it’s like that everywhere,” Kurmet told the client, a regular at his salon. The customer had to go out to the nearest ATM to pick up some cash to pay. “This…
