Russian prosecutors, c-bank collaborate on closing foreign cryptocurrency websites

Maria Nikolova

The Central Bank of Russia is co-operating with the Prosecutor General’s Office to close foreign websites offering crypto currency services to Russian residents.

Russia seems to have started a full-blown clampdown on cryptocurrencies, with the latest piece of evidence being the joint efforts of the Central Bank of Russia and the Prosecutor General’s Office.

Sergey Shvetsov, First Deputy Governor of the Bank of Russia, was quoted today by information agency TASS as saying that the central bank and the prosecutors are working together to close the foreign websites that offer Russian residents to buy cryptocurrencies.

Mr Shvetsov added that all derivative instruments related to cryptocurrencies are seen as negative phenomena by the “Megaregulator”. The central bank is not supporting these instruments and will implement measures to limit all operations with them for the regulated part of the Russian market. He reiterated that these instruments bring very high risks for the Russian citizens and businesses. Moreover, he noted, Bitcoin has become a means for getting artificially high returns for a very short period of time, something that is characteristic of financial pyramids.

The Bank of Russia has previously warned that crypto currencies are money surrogates and their use may be treated as violation of the AML and CFT laws. This stance was first made public early in 2014 and was reiterated in September 2017.

Earlier this month, the central bank has criticized the cryptocurrency-related activities of the MFB Clearing Center, which had presented a new set of clearing rules on its website, including ones covering clearing of off-exchange electronic contracts for cryptocurrencies. The Bank of Russia demands that MFB removes the rules associated with these contracts and presents the redacted version to the regulator.

Such contracts, according to the regulator, bear high risks. The lack of an adequate risk management system results in a threat to the interests of investors. The Central Bank stresses that cryptocurrencies are not regulated in Russia at present and that the operations involving cryptocurrencies have some of the features of illegal activities such as money laundering and terrorism financing.

The Bank of Russia also emphasized that the internal documentation of the clearing organization does not outline any measures for reducing the technological and other risks, related to virtual currencies.

Read this next

Retail FX

Banxso announces 8.7% interest rate on deposits in South Africa

“With Banxso, they can enjoy the benefits of both worlds – earning competitive interest and having the freedom to trade, all within the same platform.”

Industry News

FINRA to publish transaction details in U.S. Treasury securities

“Consistent with our longstanding practice, FINRA is introducing greater transparency in a calibrated and careful manner, benefiting liquidity and resilience in this critical market while also mitigating potential information leakage concerns.”

Institutional FX

OpenYield launches “cheap and easy” fixed income trading for brokers

“We’re on a mission to make bonds cheap and easy to trade, and are excited about the opportunity to build generational capital markets infrastructure.”

Digital Assets

Sumsub and Mercuryo publish a guide for VASPs: “Mastering Travel Rule Compliance”

“At Sumsub, we’ve concentrated our efforts on filling the gap in understanding the complexity of Travel Rule regulation and helping organizations find the best solution to stay safe and compliant while minimizing costs and avoiding potential risks of non-compliance. This guide we created with Mercuryo, our trusted partner, is the ultimate navigation tool all VASPs can consult.”

Digital Assets

Bitget Wallet Leads with Record Swap Volume & New Crypto Innovations

This week, Bitget Wallet achieved a milestone by surpassing Metamask with a record 388,757 Swap order transactions, securing the global lead. The significant 7-day trading volume, almost 68,000 more than its rival, underscores its liquidity and user trust. This robust activity signals Bitget Wallet’s prominent role and reliability in the dynamic crypto market.

Digital Assets

Embarking on a Digital Currency Journey

Imagine you’ve stumbled upon a treasure map, leading you to untold riches hidden in the vastness of the internet. Instead of gold coins and jewel-encrusted goblets, this treasure comes in the form of digital currencies, the modern-day loot coveted by many.

Reviews

Traders Union Experts Share The Trading Analyst Review For 2024

Navigating options trading in rapidly shifting markets poses a considerable challenge. This is where options trading alert services become invaluable. They aid traders in keeping abreast of evolving opportunities and market trends. In this assessment, Traders Union experts scrutinize The Trading Analyst alert service to ascertain its efficacy. 

Digital Assets

BlockDAG’s Presale Achieves $9.9M: Aiming For A 5000-Fold ROI As Cardano’s Price Rises And Fantom Launches Sonic

Explore Cardano’s surge, Sonic’s efficiency, and why BlockDAG’s growth makes it the top crypto choice. A deep dive into the future of blockchain investments.

Digital Assets

US, UK probe $20 billion Tether transfers tied to Russian exchange.

U.S. and UK authorities are investigating the movement of $20 billion in the USD-pegged stablecoin tether (USDT) through Moscow-based exchange Garantex.

<