Moscow Credit Bank has issued a blockchain-based bank guarantee denominated in Chinese currency, claiming the product is the first in the country. The bank guarantee exceeds 100 million Chinese yuan — or nearly $144,600 USD at time of publication. According to a statement, the transaction was performed through the Masterchain blockchain platform, andthe Russian national blockchain network created to transfer digital assets between its participants. As one of the advantages of performing the transaction on-chain, the financial institution mentioned that "the beneficiary does not need to wait for the paper version and make a separate request to the bank to …

A year after Russia’s invasion, Ukraine continues working on cryptocurrency legislation, but the war has not changed its regulatory stance, according to a Kyiv official. Ukraine has continued to follow in the footsteps of the European Union in regard to adopting digital asset laws, Ukraine’s securities commissioner Yurii Boiko told Cointelegraph in an interview. Boiko said that the Ukrainian lawmakers have been working to implement major European crypto regulations, known as the Markets in Crypto Assets regulation, or MiCA. “The approach to the regulation of the virtual asset market has not changed during the war,” Boiko stated, adding: “We clearly …

Ukraine has received over $70 million in the form of cryptocurrencies since the start of the Russian-Ukrainian conflict, providing the nation with military equipment and humanitarian assistance. The figures came from a Feb. 24 report by blockchain data platform Chainalysis, which found the majority of the funds to have come in the form of Ether (ETH) and Bitcoin (BTC). ETH donors led the way with $28.9 million given, while donors of BTC and Tether (USDT) chipped in $22.8 million and $11.59 million respectively. Donations have also come in the form of nonfungible tokens (NFTs), such as UkraineDAO’s auction of a …

Sergey Vasylchuk, the chief executive officer of staking provider Everstake, said the company is continuing to move forward despite the continuing military conflict between Ukraine and Russia. Exactly one year ago today — Feb. 24, 2022 — Russian military forces invaded many areas of Ukraine in what has become one of the biggest conflicts in modern Europe since World War II. In the last twelve months, more than 8,000 civilians have died, many Ukrainian cities have been shelled with at least one almost leveled, and the country continues to be at risk of missile attack and ground invasions. Vasylchuk said …

The local bureau of Interpol detained a British national charged by the United States Department of Justice (DoJ) in Moscow. He’s being alleged of conspiring to violate U.S. sanctions on North Korea. As reported by the local media on Feb. 21, Christopher Emms has been arrested in Moscow upon the “red notice” from Interpol. A 31-year-old British citizen was detained in the hostel where he was staying. In April 2022, alongside the Spanish national Alejandro Cao De Benos, Emms was alleged of providing instructions on how the DPRK could use blockchain and cryptocurrency technology to launder money and evade sanctions. …

New week, a new element of the crypto ecosystem is under attack. This time, the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ordered Paxos Trust to stop issuing Binance USD (BUSD) — a dollar-pegged stablecoin. Paxos received a cease order from the New York Department of Financial Services (NYDFS). With no other choice, Paxos announced that from Feb. 21, it would end its relationship with Binance for the branded U.S. dollar-pegged stablecoin BUSD. All existing BUSD tokens will remain fully backed and redeemable through Paxos Trust Company until “at least February 2024.” Customers can redeem their funds in U.S. dollars …

The Bank of Russia is preparing to roll out the first consumer pilot for the nation’s central bank digital currency (CDBC) on April 1, 2023. The central bank of Russia is set to debut soon the first real-world digital ruble transactions involving 13 local banks and several merchants, first deputy governor Olga Skorobogatova said. The official noted that the upcoming CBDC pilot will involve real operations and real consumers in Russia, but will be limited to a certain number of transactions and customers, the local news agency TASS reported. “We plan to launch the digital ruble project on April 1, …

Local Russian media outlets reported on Monday that Bitzlato co-founder Anton Shkurenko was detained in Moscow on Feb. 6 at the request of Interpol. However, according to a Feb. 10 report from CoinDesk, Shkurenko was stopped and detained by the local police for an ID check, then promptly let go after a conversation. Shkurenko said he is not involved in any criminal cases in Russia. He reportedly commented, while not disclosing details of the investigation: “I hope I convinced the prosecutor of my innocence.” He did not specify the sector of law enforcement that detained him, though he mentioned he …

The crypto mining industry has faced moratoriums in some parts of the U.S. and Canada in recent months. Now, Russia provides tax incentives for those who want to invest in crypto mining. The new $12 million crypto mining center will open in East Siberia with the direct support of the government. According to local media, the state-owned Corporation for the Development of the Far East announced the launch of the crypto mining center in Buryatia — a republic in East Siberia and a part of the Russian Federation. The facility will possess 30,000 mining machines, hire 100 workers and consume …

Gazprombank, a subsidiary of the leading Russian government-owned gas company, Gazprom, publicly proposed giving banks more time before implementing the digital ruble. The country’s central bank digital currency (CBDC) project has been accelerating due to global financial sanctions amid geopolitical tensions. As reported by local media on Feb. 7, Gazprombank, one of the 15 banks participating in the CBDC pilot, issued a public statement with a suggestion to proceed with caution regarding traditional banks’ interests: “It is imperative that banks take measures to mitigate potential losses. Hence, it is crucial to recognize the potential risks associated with the transition to …

Russia’s largest bank Sberbank is moving forward with the plan to launch its decentralized finance (DeFi) platform, preparing to trial the product in a few months. Sberbank expects to launch open trials of its DeFi platform by May 2023, Sber’s Blockchain Lab product director Konstantin Klimenko announced, the local news agency Interfax reported on Feb. 3. Currently being tested in private beta, Sberbank’s upcoming DeFi platform will be fully open by the end of April, enabling users to conduct the first commercial transactions, Klimenko said. The exec noted that the blockchain platform will be compatible with the Ethereum blockchain, allowing …

The Office of Foreign Assets Control of the United States Department of the Treasury has added two cryptocurrency wallets allegedly connected to a Russian sanctions evasion network as part of its list of Specially Designated Nationals. In a Feb. 1 announcement, OFAC said it had added one Bitcoin (BTC) address and one Ether (ETH) address to its list of sanctioned entities as part of a move to “methodically and intensively target sanctions evasion efforts around the globe.” Treasury said it would impose “full blocking sanctions” on 22 individuals, including Jonatan Zimenkov, a Russian national with access to at least one …