Tag Archives: russia

In a rather swift departure from its prewar crypto stance, the Bank of Russia is weighing in on the possibility of legalizing crypto for facilitating cross-border payments in the near future. As local news agency TASS reported, the country’s central bank and the Ministry of Finance have agreed that “it is impossible to do without cross-border settlements in cryptocurrency” under the current geopolitical conditions. Deputy Finance Minister Alexei Moiseev said crypto payments...

The United Kingdom’s Office of Financial Sanction Implementation (OFSI) has included “cryptoassets” in a list of assets that must be frozen if they belong to a person or company who is facing sanctions. These developments come as the list of sanctioned Russian entities continue to increase. Eye on Sanctioned Accounts, Breaches As per the new rules, crypto exchanges will face criminal charges if they “fail to report clients designated for sanctions.” The exchanges must...

Tornado Cash was added to the US sanctions list by the Office of Foreign Asset Control (OFAC) on August 8. Two days later, Alexey Pertsev, a coder tied to the crypto mixing service, was arrested by Dutch authorities. The blacklisting and the subsequent events sparked an outcry from privacy proponents, with many protesting and engaging in acts of civil disobedience. But according to intelligence firm, Kharon, Pertsev was formerly employed by a company linked to Russia’s...

Accused crypto money launderer Denis Mihaqlovic Dubnikov has been extradited to the United States from the Netherlands to face charges in the District of Oregon. The US Department of Justice (DOJ) said Dubnikov was charged by a federal grand jury in Portland for his alleged role in an international crypto money laundering conspiracy last August. According to the official press release, the indictment stated that the 29-year-old Russian citizen and his accomplices had full...

The United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) believes the impact of cryptocurrencies should be limited in developing nations. According to the agency, digital assets are unstable financial products that could cause further issues to already shattered economies. Amid the global monetary crisis, numerous residents of emerging countries chose to convert their depreciating fiat currencies into stablecoins. However, the UNCTAD warned that such tokens also pose...

China outlawed Bitcoin mining last May. Exactly a year later, the country has re-emerged as the leading venue for mining operations. A new study revealed underground mining activity in the country had catapulted it to second place globally in terms of installed mining capacity. China’s Apparent Comeback Cambridge Centre for Alternative Finance (CCAF) reported the surprising resurgence and further stated that China currently dominates with a 21.11% market share just behind the...

BitRiver –  Russia’s largest data center services provider – is pondering over filing a lawsuit against the US Treasury Department for adding the company to the sanction list last month. Besides, the firm accused the US of breaching WTO rules through the act of promoting unfair competition and lobbying for the US mining industry. BitRiver Called US Accusations “Unfounded and Untrue” According to its press release, BitRiver argued that it is a 100% private company with no...

The Blockchain Group is working to prevent members of Congress from passing legislation that would place sanctions on oligarchs or individuals in Russia for using cryptocurrency. The organization claims that these people are not using crypto for illicit purposes and thus they do not deserve to be punished. The Blockchain Group Seeks to Prevent Various Crypto Laws Sanctions have been placed on Russia since the country allegedly invaded Ukraine last February. There are...

The Chairman of the Financial Stability Board (FSB) – Klaas Knot – raised concerns that the cryptocurrency sector could harm the monetary network in the future. In his view, the digital asset market is expanding at a fast pace, while some of the tokens are employed by criminals in illicit activities. “For these reasons, policy work on crypto assets is a priority for the FSB,” the executive outlined. The FSB Wants to Regulate “Unbacked” Crypto The lack of an appropriate...

The United States is imposing more sanctions on Russia for its alleged involvement in the Ukraine invasion. The country is now saying it will penalize all crypto miners who seek to assist Russia in evading the present regulations set forth by the U.S. and its allies. Russia Is Getting Hit Again The United States has long been at it with Russia. The country potentially invaded Ukraine back in February despite many attempts from the U.S. and other countries to dissuade it...