Russia's parliament, the State Duma, will adopt the country’s major crypto bill “On Digital Financial Assets” (DFA) in the next two weeks, according to a local senior finance official. The news was reported by Russian government-backed news agency TASS on June 19. Russia's deputy finance minister, Alexei Moiseev, revealed that the State Duma is currently considering the DFA, and is expected to adopt the bill in the second reading within the next two weeks. Moiseev added that the authority has approved separate legislation for initial coin offerings, which will be a part of Russia’s law on crowdfunding. Russia will thus …

The head of Russia’s central bank, the Bank of Russia, has said that while the launch of a central bank digital currency (CBDC) is being explored, it is not a matter for the near future. The news was reported by Russia government-backed media agency TASS on June 15. A CBDC is a digital currency issued by a central bank that has the status of legal tender and other properties of centralized, fiat money. TASS reports that Bank of Russia’s head Elvira Nabiullina told an audience at a student conference in the Russian city of Skolkovo that a CBDC cannot be …

The personal computers of employees at hacked Japanese crypto exchange Coincheck have allegedly been found to have been infected by a virus associated with a hacker group of Russian origin. The allegation was reported by Cointelegraph Japan on June 16. As Cointelegraph has reported, in January 2018, Coincheck suffered an industry record-breaking hack when $534 million worth of NEM was stolen from its wallets. Cointelegraph Japan cites a report from Japanese media agency Asahi Shimbun, which claims that fresh research has cast doubt on prior assumptions that the high-profile hack had been perpetrated by attackers with a North Korean connection. …

Last week, an annual forum featuring Russia’s top people from the economic sector was held in St. Petersburg, and cryptocurrencies were a hot topic there. Notably, government agents and state-controlled businesses were vocal about their interest in blockchain, but seemed to distance themselves from digital tokens. Meanwhile, the regulatory framework for cryptocurrencies is still missing in the country, despite the fact that local authorities have been tasked to prepare the needed amendment a while ago. So, where is Russia heading in terms of crypto and blockchain? Brief introduction to Russia’s relationship with cryptocurrencies Russia’s stance on cryptocurrencies has been mixed …

A new report on the Telegram Open Network (TON) by Russian research agency Aton — published today, June 14, on Cointelegraph — reveals new details about one of the most anticipated projects in the crypto space. TON is a blockchain platform developed by encrypted instant messaging service Telegram, which is widely regarded as one of the primary means of communication within the blockchain and crypto community. The blockchain network reportedly aims to gain wide usage due to the active, crypto-friendly Telegram community. According to the report, TON will facilitate internal payments, host decentralized applications (DApps) and provide wallet services, among …

Last week, Russian officials revealed plans to build a major financial center on an island in the Far East, which would cater to cryptocurrencies, among other things. Notably, the creation of special economic zones for crypto has been an enduring idea both in Russia — similar proposals have been previously made in regard to Crimea, a territory that is claimed by Russia — and the rest of the world. Here’s the list of countries that have been establishing special hubs for cryptocurrencies and blockchain on their soil. Bolshoi Ussuriyskiy offshore crypto zone and similar concepts in Russia The news that …

Russian authorities have signed an agreement with Danish logistics giant Maersk to officially launch blockchain shipping platform TradeLens, according to a press release on June 6. As a part of the agreement, the port at Russia’s second-biggest city, St. Petersburg, will pilot the blockchain-powered logistics tool co-developed by Maersk’s tech subsidiary Maersk GTD and global tech giant IBM. The agreement was signed in the form of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between Maersk CEO Søren Skou and Yuriy Tsvetkov, Deputy Minister of Transport of the Russian Federation and Head of the Federal Marine and River Transport Agency, the press release …

Russia may build a large financial center on the island of Bolshoy Ussuriysky, according to a report by the state-run TASS news agency on June 8. Leonid Petukhov, who heads the Far Eastern Agency for Attracting Investments and Supporting Exports, said the island could become an offshore destination for cryptocurrencies, crypto exchanges and forex markets. Bolshoy Ussuriysky lies on the border between Russia and China, with western parts of the long-disputed territory transferred to Beijing following a 2004 agreement. Petukhov made his statements while speaking to TASS at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum. Russia has already built two offshore …

Russia’s parliament, the State Duma, is considering imposing administrative responsibility for the mining of cryptocurrencies, local news outlet TASS reported on June 7. In an interview with TASS, Anatoly Aksakov, the chairman of the State Duma Committee on the Financial Market, said that the government may introduce administrative responsibility for digital currency mining by the end of June. Aksakov stated: “I note that any operations with cryptocurrency that are contrary to the Russian legislation will be considered illegitimate. This means that mining, organizing issuance, circulation, creating exchange points for these tools will be prohibited. Administrative liability in the form of …

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The CEO of state-owned Russian bank Sberbank has officially confirmed the institution’s decision to not develop crypto-related services, local financial publication Banki.ru reports on June 7. Herman Gref, Sberbank CEO and a former minister of economics and trade of Russia, claimed that the bank has never had any ambitious plans in the crypto space. Instead, the bank will now focus on blockchain applications for its services. Gref reportedly made his comments in an interview with local free-to-air TV channel NTV at the Saint Petersburg International Economic Forum. Gref stated that Sberbank has never attracted a large amount of clients in …

Medici Ventures, the blockchain-based subsidiary of Overstock.com, has led a $7 million funding round for a blockchain-based voting platform, according to a press release on June 6. The blockchain-based voting platform, Voatz, is reportedly designed to allow citizens to participate in official elections and similar events via mobile devices, such as smartphones or tablet computers. The platform is reportedly based on blockchain tech, encryption, and biometrics, and purports to provide better convenience, security, and auditability for voters and vote collectors. Voatz says that the proceeds of their $7 million Series A funding round will go toward improving accessibility and usability …