RUSSIA
Russian Cybercriminals Sanctioned by DoJ for Crypto Laundering Scam Generating More than $16.8M
TheDoJ has sanctioned two Russian nationals for their cybercrimes, where millions in cryptocurrency were accumulated through scamming and phishing schemes.
US Sanctions Crypto Addresses of Russian Hackers Accused of Running Presidential Election Interference
The US has released a sanctions list of Russians and their crypto addresses, under allegations that they have been interfering with the presidential election.
Government Officials in Russia Expected to Declare Their Cryptocurrency Savings
Government officials in the Ural region of Russia are now expected to declare their savings stored in cryptocurrencies.
“Bitcoin Has Depreciated in Half” Says Clueless Chechen Republic Leader Kadyrov
Ramzan Kadyrov, the Head of the Chechen Republic has a strong distrust of Bitcoin, along with a profoundly confused understanding of BTC price.
Expobank Sets Precedent in Russia by Issuing the First Crypto-Backed Loan
Russian commercial bank Expobank has set the ball rolling in this nation by issuing a loan secured by crypto tokens, Waves crypto was used as collateral.
NSA Whistleblower Edward Snowden Might Return to US as President Trump Considers Pardon
US President Donald Trump is considering an executive pardon for NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden after 7 years of exile in Russia. Snowden has been an advocate of Bitcoin for some time and most of the servers he used to leak the sensitive information were paid for in Bitcoin.
Russia Plans to Build AI Software to Remove the Anonymity of Users in Crypto Transactions
The Russian agency’s plan involves using artificial intelligence (AI) for its software, as the agency sees an “urgent need to create effective opportunities for state control over the circulation of virtual assets.”
Russian Banking Giant Sberbank to Tokenize Financial Assets Using Stablecoins
Sberbank, Russia’s biggest bank, has disclosed the possibility of issuing tokens to be utilized in digital financial assets (DFA) settlements. The token will be in the form of a stablecoin to be pegged to the nation’s currency, the Russian ruble.
Russia Restricts Anonymous Cash Deposits to Online Wallets
The Russian Government has put strict limits on anonymous deposits made to online wallets. While it is not a complete ban, the initiative by lawmakers is promoted as a step to deter illegal activity such as money laundering and illicit drug transactions and could affect up to 10 million users.
Russian Citizens Are Using P2P Bitcoin Markets to Escape Monolithic Banking System
Crypto usage is growing in Russia, despite attempts by the government to make investment more difficult.
DFA Bill Passed, But Central Bank of Russia Still Thinks Cryptos Are Criminal
Despite the Digital Financial Assets bill being passed by the State Duma, Russia’s Central Bank has nevertheless argued that crypto transactions are not deemed as legitimate investments.
Will Crypto Assets Have a Future in Russia After All? State Duma Passes DFA Bill
The State Duma of Russia passed a law regarding digital financial assets (DFA) in the financial bill’s third reading, which determined the fate of Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies.
To Criminalize or Not to Criminalize Bitcoin and Crypto? Moscow Reconsiders
The State Duma is discussing its legislative plans regarding Bitcoin and cryptocurrency usage and has been reported to seemingly have a change of heart regarding digital assets adoption in Russia.
Wanted Wirecard Exec Marsalek Hiding in Russia After Moving Funds in Bitcoin
Former Wirecard Chief Operating Officer Jan Marsalek used Bitcoin to move funds to Russia where he is now in hiding under the supervision of Russian intelligence operatives, according to a Russian media outlet.
Russian Intelligence are Hiding Embezzler and Former Wirecard COO in Belarus
Jan Marsalek promptly disappeared shortly after undertaking an investigation for the Wirecard missing funds - which he claimed would clear him of any wrongdoing. However, new evidence suggests that he never made it to the Philippines at all, but has been in hiding with the help of the FSB, a Russian intelligence agency.