Russia Legalizes Bitcoin and XRP Payments for Trade, Marking Key Shift for BRICS Bloc

• Russia becomes the first member of the BRICS bloc to legalize crypto use with the passing of legislation happening in September.
• Russia will continue to maintain its ban on domestic crypto payments while continuing to develop its central bank digital currency (CBDC), the Digital Ruble.

In a major development on Tuesday, July, Russia becomes the first member of the BRICS bloc to legalize the use of crypto payments for trade purposes. This development happens as the country faces growing financial pressure from the US sanctions, per the CNF report.

Russia’s lower house of Parliament – State Duma – passed the bill giving a green light to the new legislation that gives thereby allowing businesses to use cryptocurrencies for cross-border trade.

“We are taking a historic decision in the financial sphere,” Anatoly Aksakov, the head of the Duma, told lawmakers Tuesday. Interestingly, the legislation would go into effect in September as Central Bank Governor Elvira Nabiullina assured that the first transactions would happen before the year-end.

This law will bring regulations for crypto mining as well as the circulation of other crypto tokens. However, the former ban on crypto payments within the country remains intact. However, this could bring a major shift in the international trade capabilities within the BRICS bloc, which is already working towards a de-dollarization approach, reported CNF.

JUST IN: Russia passes bill to allow international payments with cryptocurrency. pic.twitter.com/qsvOFvVO0w

— BRICS News (@BRICSinfo) July 30, 2024

Mati Greenspan, CEO of crypto market research firm Quantum Economics, said that Russia’s shift towards crypto trade makes sense as bitcoin transactions “cannot be censored or blocked by any government or bank.”

Previously, Russia would not want to allow that kind of transactional freedom to its citizens — but now we’re at the point that bitcoin is used so often in every day commerce that the opportunity cost for them not to allow it is simply too great,

Russia to Continue with Its CBDC Initiative – Digital Ruble

Along with the legislation, Russia’s central bank will continue to work on its central bank digital currency (CBDC) initiative aka the Digital Ruble. Governor Elvira Nabiullina said that they would be conducting tests over the next year with the final launch scheduled sometime around July 2025.

The central bank will roll out Digital Ruble in a step-by-step process. It will involve 12 other Russian banks along with 600 workers. The test will include key functions such as CBDC transfers, wallet use, as well as automatic payments. On the other hand, President Donald Trump is saying that if he wins the next US elections, he will bring a ban on CBDC development, reported CNF.

While Russia’s crypto plans show promise, they face significant hurdles. Other countries are likely to scrutinize more closely, with the US expected to intensify its oversight of Russian crypto activities. Recent fines on crypto firms for violating sanctions underscore the complex regulations they must navigate.

Additionally, businesses unfamiliar with these technologies may be slow to adopt crypto for international payments and the digital ruble. Overcoming these barriers will be crucial for the success of Russia’s digital currency initiatives.

Meanwhile, Ripple’s native crypto XRP has made swift moves surging by 9% in the last 24 hours and moving past $0.65. Analysts expected the XRP price surge to continue at least till $0.90.