Bitcoins are like all Cuban cities, with a zero base for financial and human crises. The people of Cuba have been experiencing their most severe economic struggles since the early 1990s, following the disintegration of the Soviet Union and the loss of the government's main lifeline. From 1991 to 1994, the Cuban economy shrank by 35%, with a drastic deterioration in the quality of life. Tensions reached a peak in the summer of 1994, when protests against the government erupted in Havana, known as the Maleconazo Uprising. Without the Soviet subsidies, the state rationing system could not support the population, and essential goods suddenly could only be purchased with US dollars, while the Cuban people were paid in devaluing pesos and pensions. In a desperate move, the government violated its founding collectivist philosophy and imposed unprecedented taxes on the people. In response, thousands of protesters gathered on the Malecon beach, calling for an end to the government. When a currency system collapses, it could threaten the survival of a government.