Central bank of Russia is continuing to work and study blockchain applications, having announced the creation of a new FinTech group focused in part on the distributed ledger.
Officially formed on 28th December 2016, the Russian group includes representatives from several important Russian banks including Alfa Bank, Sberbank and VTB. Also, it includes payments processor Qiwi and the National System of Payment Cards (NSPK).
Earlier this week, the company said Qiwi CEO Sergey Solonin will be the association’s new chief.
In addition to the blockchain, Central Bank of Russia explained it will also investigate identification technologies and new payment system frameworks within the group.
Olga Skorobogatova, or the bank’s deputy governor, explained in an official statement:
“The Association’s key objectives will include the development and introduction of new technological solutions to ensure the development of the Russian financial market. It will also promote digitalisation of the Russian economy.”
This news reveals that Bank of Russia intends to play a leading role in the test and development of blockchain applications within the country and not only. Its interest in the technology is not a secret.
Recenlty, the Russian central bank has been undertaking a hands-on education into the ledger, announcing a new system for financial messaging called Masterchain back in October to improve its national payment system.
Also, the Russian government has been exploring the blockchain and it announced that Bitcoin is not an illegal method of payment.
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Today we want to talk about the recent Russian Blockchain interest and the country major announcements related to bitcoin and the distributed ledger.
According to Economic Times, Russia wants to use the blockchain technology to improve its national payment system and to simplify clients’ identification.
The Association of Financial Innovation (AFI) in Russia, in fact, prepared a draft for improving the regulation of its own national payment system.
This draft has been shared for a first discussion on the Association’s official web site. After this discussion, the roadmap will be presented to the Russian Duma, the Ministry of finance and the Bank of Russia.
According to the official article, the roadmap includes the use of the distributed ledger technology for users identification. Here an extract:
“Along with expansion opportunities in the short term transactions under the simplified identification of clients, develop an approach and implement a single identifier (possibly using blockchain technology)”.
The Association for Financial Technologies Development (FinTech Association) was recently setted up by the Bank of Russia.
Its participants will study and test the most promising technologies, including the distributed ledger, open application program interface (open API) and remote identification technologies. Also, the association will create a single payment space both for households and legal entities.
Earlier in 2016, the Bank of Russia revealed its technical prototype for financial messaging, based on the blockchain and called Masterchain.
This tool would allow instant confirmation of data; also it would create a few financial opportunities for the market participants to provide game-changing products and services to their clients.
Recenlty Russia seems to love the Blockchain very much. In fact, the national tax authority recognized Bitcoin as a foreign money, expressing the legality of Bitcoin use and transactions.
Also, Siberia Airlines revealed its use of the Ethereum Blockchain Smart Contract in a few transations.
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