Russia Introduces Bill to Apply Money Laundering Controls to Digital Ruble Transactions

A group of lawmakers in Russia introduced a bill that would extend money laundering controls to digital ruble transactions. The proposal, spearheaded by the Chairman of the State Duma Committee on the Financial Market Anatoly Aksakov, establishes different responsibilities for platform participants and the Central Bank of Russia, which is appointed as the main AML … Read more

Russia Regulates Use of Digital Assets for International Settlements

Russia has integrated the use of digital assets as payment for international transactions in its legislation. President Vladimir Putin signed into law a document that describes using these assets as payment for international settlements, a use case not contemplated in any law, appointing the Central Bank of Russia as the overseer of these transactions. Russia … Read more

Kremlin Reveals Plans to Create a “Politics-Free” BRICS Blockchain-Based Payments System

Yury Ushakov, an aide of Russian president Vladimir Putin, revealed plans to create a digital blockchain payment system for the BRICS bloc. Ushakov remarked that the countries of the group would benefit from implementing such a system for the use of governments, common people, and businesses, stating that it would be convenient, cost-effective, and “free … Read more

Russian Digital Ruble Pilot ‘on Track,’ Registers About 25K Transactions

Elvira Nabiullina, Governor of the Bank of Russia, stated that the current pilot test of the Russian digital ruble was “on track,” with several operations being tested, including opening wallets, and interactions with smart contracts. Nabiullina revealed that over 25,000 transactions were registered, and confirmed the pilot expansion later this year. Russian Digital Ruble Pilot … Read more

Russia’s FATF Rating Downgraded Over Crypto Regulation Shortfalls

The Financial Action Task Force (FATF) has lowered Russia’s rating owing to insufficient oversight of cryptocurrencies, as indicated by regional coverage. According to RBC, this downgrade highlights escalating worries about the country’s capacity to oversee and mitigate dubious transactions within the rapidly expanding realm of digital finance. Russia’s Financial Strategy Challenged by FATF Downgrade The … Read more

Russia Hints at Development of CBDC-Based BRICS Bridge Payments System

Russia has proposed the development and implementation of a BRICS-wide payment system that would use central bank digital currencies (CBDCs) to manage trade settlements. The BRICS bridge, as referred to by Russian Finance Minister Anton Siluanov, would address the fragmentation of the current payment system outside the West’s “unfriendly infrastructure.” Russia Hints at Using CBDC … Read more