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Topic: Kremlin vs bitcoiners. (Read 898 times)

legendary
Activity: 2128
Merit: 1775
August 22, 2020, 08:35:35 AM
#36
Kremlin sets to drop the hammer on illegal activities in cryptocurrency domain.  https://btcmanager.com/russian-government-fines-imprisonment-illegal-crypto/?q=/russian-government-fines-imprisonment-illegal-crypto/& 
What's you though?
How can this happen while currently the majority of Russian crypto users can say the largest including: journalists, artists, musicians, intellectual officials and also including the management of the Russian Central Bank, and many others, it is very strange and wrong if the Russian government treats the current bill.

I am not 100% sure about this sentence, last week I read in one media about this, many enthusiastic pros and cons in this matter, also including lawyers who are indifferent to what is being applied at this time.

I think the bill in Russia should not be treated like that, I think this will not work, as far as I know Russia is one of the biggest crypto users right now, My mind says that the bill is just a scare, by clinical idiots and patriots who don't know crypto, Russia should be the strongest crypto country in the world, don't lose to the United States.
legendary
Activity: 1932
Merit: 4602
Buy on Amazon with Crypto
August 20, 2020, 09:08:03 AM
#35
all out "strange" law as to me. It  "decriminalized" cryptocurrency but prohibits to buy any of goods/properties with it. Looks like it’s for the benefit of a  small circle of topmost officials who have billions in bitcoin and can spend them for buying luxuries  being abroad. I can’t explain it any other way.   

Which would make sense. Let FSB thieves spend Wex money and anyone they turn a blind eye to, and confiscate bitcoins of anyone else who's found not compliant with the new law.
This ban on the use of cryptocurrency as a means of payment can be easily circumvented. There are payment bank cards that allow pre-existing bitcoins or other cryptocurrencies to be converted at the exchange rate into rubles and paid in rubles. The law that has come into force will not be violated.
Why invent something?
https://www.bestchange.ru/bitcoin-to-ruble-cash.html
A huge market for the sale of cryptocurrencies has formed in Russia, you can exchange your cryptocurrency for cash in rubles or dollars.
Many of these exchangers are cared for under the protection of the police and similar government agencies. I do not think that such a market will be closed.
sr. member
Activity: 2352
Merit: 245
August 11, 2020, 10:40:57 PM
#34
all out "strange" law as to me. It  "decriminalized" cryptocurrency but prohibits to buy any of goods/properties with it. Looks like it’s for the benefit of a  small circle of topmost officials who have billions in bitcoin and can spend them for buying luxuries  being abroad. I can’t explain it any other way.   

Which would make sense. Let FSB thieves spend Wex money and anyone they turn a blind eye to, and confiscate bitcoins of anyone else who's found not compliant with the new law.
This ban on the use of cryptocurrency as a means of payment can be easily circumvented. There are payment bank cards that allow pre-existing bitcoins or other cryptocurrencies to be converted at the exchange rate into rubles and paid in rubles. The law that has come into force will not be violated.
legendary
Activity: 1932
Merit: 4602
Buy on Amazon with Crypto
August 03, 2020, 09:23:35 AM
#33
Finally they made it and approved the bill regulated the turnover of assets associated with cryptocurrencies. But the solution is a half-hearted one as always. On the one hand, it is allowed and legitimized but on other hand the only body which is eligible to decide who can buy cryptos is the Central Bank of Russia. Whose side is the ball on now?

Quote
Cryptocurrency related operations and cryptocurrency exchanges will have to comply with banks, as they will also be assigned the role of implementing additional requirements, while also analysing investors to determine who is or isn’t qualified to purchase cryptocurrencies.

Seems heavy-handed, but essentially it's not entirely dissimilar to what an average BTC buyer faces elsewhere, i.e. their bank can decline a bank transfer to a cryptocurrency exchange. Russia only codified this it into law.
all out "strange" law as to me. It  "decriminalized" cryptocurrency but prohibits to buy any of goods/properties with it. Looks like it’s for the benefit of a  small circle of topmost officials who have billions in bitcoin and can spend them for buying luxuries  being abroad. I can’t explain it any other way.  
How will officials spend cryptocurrencies abroad? In many countries, there is very strict cryptocurrency legislation, which will require at least to go through the KYC procedure, and as a maximum to indicate the source of the funds. I think they will have to use the services of the shadow market to hide the presence of cryptocurrencies.

The new law did not ban the sale and exchange of cryptocurrencies, so I closely follow the crypto legislation.But only next year will we be able to look at the practical application of this law.
legendary
Activity: 3472
Merit: 1722
July 25, 2020, 08:23:05 AM
#32
all out "strange" law as to me. It  "decriminalized" cryptocurrency but prohibits to buy any of goods/properties with it. Looks like it’s for the benefit of a  small circle of topmost officials who have billions in bitcoin and can spend them for buying luxuries  being abroad. I can’t explain it any other way.   

Which would make sense. Let FSB thieves spend Wex money and anyone they turn a blind eye to, and confiscate bitcoins of anyone else who's found not compliant with the new law.
legendary
Activity: 2590
Merit: 3015
Welt Am Draht
July 25, 2020, 05:14:28 AM
#31
Looks like it’s for the benefit of a  small circle of topmost officials who have billions in bitcoin and can spend them for buying luxuries  being abroad. I can’t explain it any other way.  

Which is Russia to a tee. It is run for the benefit of the small number of people at the top.

If Russia ever do actually legislate anything this outcome is the most logical one.
legendary
Activity: 3472
Merit: 1722
July 24, 2020, 06:18:47 PM
#30
Finally they made it and approved the bill regulated the turnover of assets associated with cryptocurrencies. But the solution is a half-hearted one as always. On the one hand, it is allowed and legitimized but on other hand the only body which is eligible to decide who can buy cryptos is the Central Bank of Russia. Whose side is the ball on now?

Quote
Cryptocurrency related operations and cryptocurrency exchanges will have to comply with banks, as they will also be assigned the role of implementing additional requirements, while also analysing investors to determine who is or isn’t qualified to purchase cryptocurrencies.

Seems heavy-handed, but essentially it's not entirely dissimilar to what an average BTC buyer faces elsewhere, i.e. their bank can decline a bank transfer to a cryptocurrency exchange. Russia only codified this it into law.
legendary
Activity: 2282
Merit: 1023
June 10, 2020, 03:06:49 AM
#29
looks like you feel sad about it but we must be happy with it because they will only punish those illegal activities and not those who are known to operate in a legit way  .

this will not affect the poor bitcoiners  but this do also make them more secure because these poor guys will now have a lesser chance to get scammed  .
It happens if you just read the headlines and not read the entire content, the draft bill is not about taking actions against illegal activities but rather making the entire cryptocurrency market illegal.

As some suggested it is not an easy task to make it illegal altogether, the better solution is always to monitor all the activities through a regulated exchange rather than forcing it underground. As long as there are other countries that does not have any ban you are able to withdraw the money and convert it to fiat and the government will not have any track record about that.
copper member
Activity: 493
Merit: 170
BountyMarketCap
June 08, 2020, 02:40:51 PM
#28
This is old news, it has already been disproved, so this is not true. Even in a country like Russia, there will be no such punishment for using cryptocurrency
hero member
Activity: 1806
Merit: 672
June 02, 2020, 10:14:29 AM
#27
looks like you feel sad about it but we must be happy with it because they will only punish those illegal activities and not those who are known to operate in a legit way  .

this will not affect the poor bitcoiners  but this do also make them more secure because these poor guys will now have a lesser chance to get scammed  .

You didn't read the news I guess. This does not make already illegal activities illegal in Russia but the drafted bill contains making the user of crypto illegal overall. From the issuance of cryptocurrencyes, circulation of it, as well as using cryptocurrencies as means of payment will be illegal based on the drafted bill of Russia with punishments going to 7 years in prison. I mean can you believe that? You going to jail just because you have crypto assets in that country? I don't think that this kind of bill should be made into a law because first of all it isn't even gonna be equal to all parties I know the Russian government is strict when it comes to AML but simply banning cryptocurrencies isn't really the solution here as a big industry will be affected.
full member
Activity: 1638
Merit: 122
June 02, 2020, 03:18:26 AM
#26
looks like you feel sad about it but we must be happy with it because they will only punish those illegal activities and not those who are known to operate in a legit way  .

this will not affect the poor bitcoiners  but this do also make them more secure because these poor guys will now have a lesser chance to get scammed  .
sr. member
Activity: 1624
Merit: 315
Leading Crypto Sports Betting & Casino Platform
June 01, 2020, 03:13:58 AM
#25
I do not live in Russia so I do not know much about the politics and whatnot there but I think that the people there do not have that much power whenever they want to oppose the laws that are going to be passed on, Putin is a strong man and has an imposing personality and I think people know it. In my opinion, the laws concerning the illegal activities that can be done through bitcoin should be monitored because I do believe that more people will suffer in the long run if this kind of illegal activities are set aside in the ditch and letting it proliferate will make it worse that a simple legislations that helps in busting these illegal crypto activities will never make a dent, in short I agree with their policy to destroy these activities before they get bigger.
legendary
Activity: 2968
Merit: 3684
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May 28, 2020, 04:36:43 AM
#24
There is all out good phrase - "you can't understand Russia with your mind" which is fully applicable to the current attitude of authorities to cryptocurrency. They are trying to intimidate ordinary people and persuade them away from the  use  of it,  at same time the largest bank of Russia intends to buy a huge bunch of ATMs that supports blockchain - https://cointelegraph.com/news/russias-biggest-bank-is-buying-5000-blockchain-atms-that-can-mine-crypto.  What is it for?

I've had a few lessons about the Russian mentality also from some friends (but all from ex-Soviet member countries so maybe they reference outdated mentalities haha) but I always feel that a lot of this is not exclusive to dear old Russia.

But you're right. You got the Dumas all hot and heavy on blockchain regulations, you've got special economic zones from two years ago happy to use nuclear power to operate mining farms, and then you've got banks like you show now buying up these machines. I think like in Asia, the government wants to take credit for everything, so you are really free to do anything but if you show a bit of gumption without approval, you get a slap on the wrist.
legendary
Activity: 2968
Merit: 3684
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May 25, 2020, 10:25:47 AM
#23
The majority poor you're worried about do not have Bitcoin, and are the least likely to be affected by any such potential new law coming into effect. Also...

In the summer, there will probably be another Russian bill that proposes fully legalizing cryptocurrencies. Wake me up when Vladimir Putin actually signs one of them.

... this is just one in a lengthening string of yes/no hot/cold news coming out from there. I bet you there's just a lot of deliberate misinformation coming out from both sides of the camp. They've definitely got bigger fish to fry than Bitcoiners they'd be happier keeping a steady eye on by allowing the current situation to proceed.
legendary
Activity: 2912
Merit: 6403
Blackjack.fun
May 25, 2020, 09:36:55 AM
#22
i asked my russian friends about this yesterday. they both laughed.

Yeah just like people laughed when BTC-e was first in trouble...Nothing can stop us...Russsssssia!!!!

what makes you think this time is different?

Nothing, we're just talking about possibilities.
If they want to stop it or if they are just passing laws out of boredom to make them look like they are doing something.
There are laws against driving on the sidewalk in Russia but enforcing them is a hobby, just as there are a lot of other laws that nobody cares.

The problem starts when they really want for some reason to enforce this, like some infighting in the FSB for example, when the last clean up of the FSB happened billions of $ were involved as there was simply so much they could tolerate, even if the higher-ups were involved money was flowing out of the country way to fast, so they squashed everything.
If for one moment they will have the feeling money that they can grab are flowing out of the country through cryptos they will enforce it.

If not, nothing, as I said before, it will be a law that will simply collect dust.
legendary
Activity: 1652
Merit: 1483
May 25, 2020, 08:15:17 AM
#21
If it's an all-out crackdown on it, then it's simply game over.

i asked my russian friends about this yesterday. they both laughed.

let's cross this bridge when we come to it......

You went from this:
a ban on bitcoin would be like a ban on gold---unenforceable, and would make the government look very impotent.
to this
cool, lemme know when russia bans bitcoin. they've been threatening to do it for 6+ years.

i'm saying both. a ban cannot be enforced and would be widely violated. the government has suggested as much. there are also no signs that they'll actually pass this proposal. every russian crypto bill to date has been squashed. what makes you think this time is different?
legendary
Activity: 1666
Merit: 1196
STOP SNITCHIN'
May 24, 2020, 04:17:06 PM
#20
Conservative estimates put the size of the Russian shadow economy at 20% of GDP. Other estimates put its size closer to 45% of GDP. Russians are very used to hiding their assets from the authorities. Bribery is also extremely common. We can also see from the explosion in cross-border Tether usage between China and Moscow that cryptocurrencies make restrictions on capital flow ineffectual. I wonder what the bill's backers think a ban would accomplish -- another widely ignored Russian law and new avenue for corruption? Cheesy

In the summer, there will probably be another Russian bill that proposes fully legalizing cryptocurrencies. Wake me up when Vladimir Putin actually signs one of them.

Chances are that nothing will come of this. Russia -- and Putin specifically -- have much bigger problems to worry about. He has even delayed his longstanding plans to rewrite the constitution to give himself another two terms in office.

Quote
Rumblings of discontent are growing in Russia over Vladimir Putin’s handling of the pandemic. His approval ratings fell to an historic low for him — down to 59 % last month from 63 % the previous month, according to the independent pollster Levada Center.
 
Even the normally loyal state-owned broadcaster Russia Today ran a report last week warning that the country risks a double-digit unemployment rate and a “return to the pain of the economic miasma of the Yeltsin years [that] would have unpredictable consequences for President Putin.”

The Russian president has had to put on hold his plans to rewrite the Russian constitution, which would allow him another 12 years in office, “while the Kremlin tries to deal with both the virus and a new economic crisis,” says Tatiana Stanovaya, an analyst with the Carnegie Moscow Center, a think tank. “These twin challenges represent the biggest shock the Putin regime has ever faced and are likely to feed popular dissatisfaction,” she adds.  
 
The economic fallout is mounting. A quarter of working-age Russians say they have lost their jobs or expect they will soon. Six out of ten Russians have no savings. There have been isolated protests and analysts say there’s a real prospect of much wider unrest, once the pandemic starts to accelerate beyond Moscow and St. Petersburg, where hospitals and local health services have been neglected for years.  
legendary
Activity: 2912
Merit: 6403
Blackjack.fun
May 24, 2020, 01:15:37 PM
#19
You went from this:

a ban on bitcoin would be like a ban on gold---unenforceable, and would make the government look very impotent.

to this

cool, lemme know when russia bans bitcoin. they've been threatening to do it for 6+ years.

Two different scenarios, what can they do it if they really want, and if they will even do it in the first place.
If you would have bothered to actually read what I'm posting you couldn't have missed this:

If Putin approves, it will be done, and once he does its a matter of how much do they really want to curb usage in the country.
There are hundreds of laws in Russia but enforcing them it's another thing, if they will simply use it as a means to target individuals most of the users can still fly below the radar and will not get in trouble. If it's an all-out crackdown on it, then it's simply game over.

But I'm used to it, if you don't stick your tongue deep down satoshi's......code and treat bitcoin as the supreme invincible undefeatable unbannable perfectionist entity you're spreading FUD.
legendary
Activity: 1652
Merit: 1483
May 24, 2020, 12:57:47 PM
#18
You haven't lived in a dictatorship, you don't know that feeling when you go to bed and you ask yourself if you did something that might get you arrested that night.

lol, that sounds like a great reason to fearmonger about russia banning bitcoin. Roll Eyes

Trust me, I've lived in a communist dictatorship, you can ban EVERYTHING!

cool, lemme know when russia bans bitcoin. they've been threatening to do it for 6+ years. i'm sure their intention was to quietly watch adoption go exponential for many years, and then try to ban it. Roll Eyes

Yeah, bitcoin blogs at their best, twisting words, this is the actual text
Quote
“If a person who owns, conditionally, bitcoins, completes his transaction in a jurisdiction that does not prohibit this, we are unlikely to be able to limit it to this.”

you glossed over this:

Quote
At the same time, the head of the legal department of the Central Bank of the Russian Federation noted that the authorities would not prohibit Russian citizens from buying cryptocurrency and own it. Moreover, he acknowledged that this was not possible from a practical point of view. the best they can do is ban exchanges.

“If a person who owns, conditionally, bitcoins, completes his transaction in a jurisdiction that does not prohibit this, we are unlikely to be able to limit it to this.”

the implication is while they can restrict bitcoin exchanges in russia, they cannot stop russians from buying and owning bitcoins, nor will they try.

the chinese are an excellent example of a population that doesn't give a fuck about their totalitarian government's restrictions on bitcoin, or any sort of capital restrictions at all for that matter. when exchanges got banned, the OTC market exploded and chinese traders just moved to hong kong and singapore based exchanges.

the russians i know couldn't give one fuck what their government says about bitcoin either. this isn't 1970s soviet union anymore. it's the same situation as china. the PBOC threatened to ban bitcoin in china dozens of times over many years (just like the bank of russia) but never actually did. they can't and they know they would look completely powerless if they tried. that's the last thing authoritarians want.

i don't see any indication that russia is closer to banning bitcoin than it was in 2014. if anything, the opposite. but you can keep fearmongering if you'd like......
legendary
Activity: 2912
Merit: 6403
Blackjack.fun
May 24, 2020, 05:20:52 AM
#17
a ban on bitcoin would be like a ban on gold---unenforceable, and would make the government look very impotent.

Hihihi, so you think a ban on crypto is impossible?
How many crypto owners are in North Korea?  Grin

You haven't lived in a dictatorship, you don't know that feeling when you go to bed and you ask yourself if you did something that might get you arrested that night. It's normal to act brave while you're safe at home in another country, it's normal to be brave, but when people you know that had no intent to commit suicide jump out the windows, are suddenly sick and die in hospital, die in car crashes and nobody is allowed to see their bodies, you won't be that brave, nobody will. And if there are a few they will not live that much to tell their stories.

Trust me, I've lived in a communist dictatorship, you can ban EVERYTHING! You can ban even breathing for certain individuals, and it's pretty easy, you sentence them to the execution squad. Do you have a clue how many of my countrymen have died in labor camps and re-education centers? Covid19 is a carebear compared to that.
If Putin wants to ban it, he will ban it and after a few headlines and scandals nobody will care, and you won't hear a word about cryptos from Russia.


putin understands very well that russia can't control bitcoin. the central bank also recently acknowledged that a ban is actually impossible: https://beincrypto.com/russian-central-bank-admits-it-cant-ban-bitcoin/

Yeah, bitcoin blogs at their best, twisting words, this is the actual text
Quote
“If a person who owns, conditionally, bitcoins, completes his transaction in a jurisdiction that does not prohibit this, we are unlikely to be able to limit it to this.”

So they can't prevent a Russian citizen that already has bitcoin to send bitcoins.....That's all!
Not a word about being unable to stop Russians from buying bitcoins or purchasing stuff with it.

Quote
But at the same time, the Central Bank insists that institutions facilitate the circulation of cryptocurrency. In general, the department seeks to introduce those restrictions that it considers necessary and technically feasible.

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