The Ministry of Finance of the Russian Federation has officially initiated work on the country’s cryptocurrency regulation bill, filing the first public notice on the federal legal portal. Russia’s finance ministry on Thursday filed two development notices announcing the start of the process of developing a legal framework for activities related to transactions with digital currencies and their issuance. The first notice, called “On Digital Currency,” informs about the government launching a public consultation on rules for digital asset transactions, inviting proposals from financial market participants, citizens and legal entities. The second notice details a similar process for possible amendments …

Amid Binance halting its services in countries like Israel over licensing matters, the world’s largest cryptocurrency exchange by trading volume continues strengthening relations with Russia. Binance announced Thursday its entry into the Association of Banks of Russia, aiming to facilitate dialogue with local authorities, lawmakers and experts in the cryptocurrency industry. Founded in 1990, the association includes over 300 banks and financial institutions in Russia, covering nearly 90% of the country’s banking infrastructure. The association’s council has approved Binance’s membership in the association, launching a dedicated expert center for digital financial assets and digital currencies. The expert center’s mission is …

Bitcoin (BTC) and altcoins dropped further on Feb. 17 after the situation in Ukraine worsened and Russia expelled Bart Gorman, the United States Deputy Chief of Diplomatic Mission, from the country after President Biden reiterated that the threat of a Ukraine invasion by Russia was “very high.” Data from Cointelegraph Markets Pro and TradingView shows that the afternoon resurgence in sell-side pressure dropped the price of Bitcoin to a daily low at $40,081 as bulls frantically regroup and attempt to prevent a slide below $40,000. According to analysts, the bullish case for a move higher continues to dwindle as the …

The quick-moving volatility that the cryptocurrency market is known for reared its ugly head on Feb. 17 as ongoing tensions between Russia and Ukraine and the rest of the world walloped financial markets around and briefly plunged Bitcoin price below the $41,000 level. Data from Cointelegraph Markets Pro and TradingView shows that the crypto market was hit with a wave of selling beginning near midday on Thursday that dropped BTC to a daily low of $40,743 before bulls bid the price back above $41,000. Here’s a look at what traders in the market are saying about the price dip for …

Banning cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin (BTC) is impossible, Russia’s finance minister Anton Siluanov declared as the Bank of Russia keeps calling on the state to ban crypto in the country. Placing a ban on crypto in Russia is the “same as banning the internet, which is impossible,” Siluanov declared at the ministry’s briefing with the central bank, Forbes Russia reported Wednesday. The finance minister reportedly said that starting regulating the cryptocurrency industry as soon as possible is way better than banning it as this would allow the government to finally monitor the market and grow the country's budget using taxes from …

Amid more reports on the Bank of Russia rejecting the finance ministry’s proposal of cryptocurrency regulation, the central bank has kicked off trials of its own digital currency. The Russian central bank has officially launched the digital ruble trial, successfully completing the first central bank digital currency (CBDC) transfers among citizens, the Bank of Russia announced Tuesday. The launch aligns with the bank’s plans to debut the first digital ruble transactions in early 2022. Three banks out of 12 financial institutions in the digital ruble pilot group have already integrated the CBDC platform, with two of them completing a “full …

Amid the Russian government continuing working hard to come up with cryptocurrency regulations, a federal ministry has made another proposal regarding the crypto mining industry. Russia’s Ministry of Economic Development has greenlighted the concept of crypto mining regulation in the country, proposing to allow mining operations in areas with “sustainable surplus in electricity generation,” local news agency Izvestia reported Tuesday. As part of the proposal, the ministry suggested introducing lower fees for setting up mining farms and data centers in specific Russia’s areas as well as offering reduced energy rates for such facilities. The ministry also wants to establish a …

According to a new report published by blockchain analytics firm Chainalysis on Monday, approximately 74%, or over $400 million USD, of ransomware revenue last year were funneled into high-risk wallet addresses that are likely to be based in Russia. The report analyzed ransomware hacks throughout 2021 and determined their affiliation to Russia through three key charactersitics: Traces of Russia-based cybercriminal organization Evil Corp being behind a given breach; the group has alleged ties to the Russian government. Ransomeware programmed only against victims of non-former-Soviet countries. Ransomware strains that share documents and announcements in the Russian language. In addition to the …

Several storylines that had been long in the making dominated last week’s news cycle in the cryptocurrency policy and enforcement department. The Russian government has made another huge step on the path toward creating a tailored regulatory framework for digital assets, unveiling its consolidated view that crypto is to be treated as currency rather than swept under the rug of a blanket ban. While this movement in the direction of crypto’s formal legitimization is a welcomed development, a host of questions persists related to both the exact shape of the new regime and its enforcement. The biggest enforcement story of …

The government and central bank in Russia have reached an agreement on how to regulate cryptocurrencies, according to a Tuesday announcement. Russia's government and central bank are now working on a draft law that will define crypto as an "analogue of currencies" rather than digital financial assets, set to be launched on Feb. 18. Cryptocurrencies would function in the legal industry only if they have complete identification through the banking system or licensed intermediaries. Kommersant notes that Bitcoin (BTC) transactions and possession of cryptocurrency in the Russian Federation are not prohibited; however, they must be done through a "digital currency …

The Russian government is expected to collect up to 1 trillion rubles ($13 billion) in crypto tax each year, as per an estimation by the authorities. The Bell, a local Russian publication, reportedly got its hands on the government analytic note that estimated the yearly tax revenue. According to the letter's authors, Russians hold 12% or nearly $214 billion in crypto. The number of users on foreign exchanges is estimated to be about 10 million, added with the significant number of over-the-counter (OTC) crypto trades. The government agency believes even the most straightforward tax imposition can generate anywhere from 146 …

Every global event or major political crisis these days can trigger a digital asset-related conversation. As China welcomes the world’s top athletes to the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics, showing off ultra-high-tech facilities and sports infrastructure, some United States politicians have raised concerns over the Games’ potential to act as a booster to the digital yuan’s adoption. In neighboring Myanmar, the military government that had overthrown the nation’s elected leadership a year ago is now looking into launching its own digital currency, not to project economic influence but to improve the domestic payments system and the struggling economy more broadly. Below …