Russian crypto traders have been looking to obtain unrestricted accounts for global exchanges as their access to such platforms is limited. Over the past year, the offering of such accounts on the dark web has increased significantly, cybersecurity experts told the Russian press. Russian residents have been buying these accounts despite the dangers, including the risk that whoever created them could maintain access after the sale, the Kommersant reported. But they are inexpensive and offers on darknet markets have doubled since early 2022, Nikolay Chursin from the Positive Technologies information security threat analysis group told the business daily. (Bitcoin.com)

Advisors to the Kremlin have suggested that home crypto mining should be banned in Russia, or in some of its regions. The stated motive for the proposal is to prevent fires in residential buildings. Amateur miners have been blamed for high loads on the grid causing breakdowns and blackouts.

The Central Bank of Russia has detailed two methods for implementing the digital ruble and other state-backed coins in international settlements. The monetary authority also plans to start testing consumer-to-business (C2B) operations in the first quarter of the year.

Russia’s central bank is reportedly set to begin developing a cross-border settlement system using its Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC) amid ongoing sanctions in response to its invasion of Ukraine. The plans to move forward with Russia’s digital ruble are expected to come in the first quarter of 2023 and will see Russia's central bank study two possible cross-border settlement models, according to a Jan. 9 report from local media outlet Kommersant. The first proposed model sees various countries entering into separate bilateral agreements with Russia to integrate their CBDC systems. (Cointelegraph)

Russia’s cryptocurrency mining bill, which would legalize crypto mining and the sale of mined crypto, could be approved by January, according to a report by local news agency Tass on Dec. 23.

The Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs is now using a digital tool allowing officers to link cryptocurrency wallets to their owners. The software also has a feature facilitating the monitoring of crypto asset transactions, the department told Russian media.

Demand for powerful computing devices designed to mint bitcoin has surged in Russia during the fourth quarter of the year, spurred by their low prices amid declining crypto markets, the Russian business daily Kommersant reported. The country’s cheap electricity rates and expectations for a higher supply of second-hand miners have played a role as well.

A new report by Kommersant revealed that sales of Bitcoin mining machines in the country surged rapidly in the fourth quarter, a trend backed by a resurgence of demand, despite the chaotic price action of the crypto-asset.

Russia’s largest bank, Sberbank, has added support for Ethereum and EVM-compatible self-custodial wallet MetaMask on its digital asset issuance platform.

A new blockchain-based international payment system could soon take shape, if Russian President Vladimir Putin gets his way.