Russia

Russian Arrested for Defrauding Buyers of Mining Hardware Worth Over $300,000

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Police in the southern Russian city of Astrakhan have detained a man accused of defrauding people who wanted to purchase crypto miners. Law enforcement officials say the suspect made millions of rubles through fictitious sales of mining devices to Russian citizens…

‘No Middle Class Left,’ ‘Millions Will Be Wiped Out’ — Two Market Crash Predictions, Gas Cartels, and Whales Moving Mt Gox Coins: Bitcoin.com News Week in Review

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In this week’s Bitcoin.com News Week in Review, one market strategist issues a dire warning about the U.S. economy and a large market crash that could cause a “50 to 60 percent haircut” in stocks. Further, the Russian government is reportedly…

Hackers Offer to Sell Belarus President Lukashenko’s Passport as NFT

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Anti-government hackers have attempted to sell what they say is an NFT of Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko’s passport. The members of the ‘Belarusian Cyber Partisans’ collective claim to have obtained the passport data of all of the country’s citizens. Cyber Guerrillas…

Bank of Russia Eases Restrictions on Purchases of Dollar and Euro Cash

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The Central Bank of Russia has relaxed some limitations for Russian banks selling U.S. dollars and euros to the public. The increased supply of foreign cash may affect the crypto market in the country as currency restrictions have been a driver…

Moscow Exchange Prepares to List Digital Financial Assets by Year End

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Russia’s largest market for equities, bonds, and derivatives, the Moscow Exchange, intends to launch a product based on digital financial assets by the end of the year, an executive has revealed. The trading platform is already working with a partner to…

Electricity Consumption of Russian Crypto Miners Spikes 20 Times in 5 Years, Research Finds

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Power needs of cryptocurrency miners in Russia have grown significantly since 2017, with consumption of electrical energy seeing a 20-fold increase over the five-year period. In 2021, the minting of the coin with the largest market cap, bitcoin, required 1.25 gigawatts…

Bank of Russia Aims for Full Launch of Digital Ruble in 2024

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The Central Bank of Russia plans to begin the comprehensive implementation of the digital ruble two years from now, according to a paper detailing its monetary policy priorities for the 2023 – 2025 period. As the development of the state-issued digital…

Chainalysis Report Says $2.2 Million in Crypto Has Been Sent to Pro-Russian Groups in Ukraine

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According to a report stemming from the blockchain intelligence company Chainalysis, the firm identified 54 pro-Russian groups that have “collectively received over $2.2 million worth of cryptocurrency.” The paramilitary groups in Ukraine primarily received bitcoin and ether donations but also got…

Russian Blockchain Alternative to SWIFT to Prevent Disconnection of Nations, Banks

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A Russian university is ready to test its blockchain-based analogue to the global payment messaging network SWIFT, from which Russian banks were cut off as part of Western sanctions. The developers say their system would not allow the disconnecting of countries…

Proposal to Set Up Russian Crypto Exchange Circulated in Moscow

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Russia may establish a dedicated exchange to carry out cryptocurrency transactions locally, a high-ranking member of the State Duma has suggested. The new platform can be hosted by the Moscow Exchange, according to Anatoly Aksakov, head of the parliamentary financial market…