A group of hacktivists called the Belarusian Cyber Partisans have been attempting to sell a nonfungible token (NFT) featuring the purported passport info of Belarus president Alexander Lukashenko. The Belarusian Cyber Partisans say the move is part of a grassroots fundraising campaign to fight “bloody regimes in Minsk and Moscow.” The members claim to have hacked into a government database that has the passport info of every Belarusian citizen, allowing them to launch an NFT collection called "Belarisuan Passports," which includes a digital passport that supposedly features Lukashenko’s actual information. 1/3For the 1st time in human history a #hacktivist collective …

London-based cryptocurrency exchange Exmo is the latest crypto trading platform to formally suspend its business in Russia and Belarus due to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Exmo is selling its digital asset business in Russia and Belarus to a Russia-based software development company, which Exmo officially announced on Monday. At the time of writing, the new owner and the size of the deal are not disclosed. “Unfortunately, we can’t anymore hold the high-risk part of the business, since a global group does not want to put the global expansion plans at any risk by keeping such high-risk markets in its structure,” …

Crypto trading company Currency.com has announced it halted operations for clients based in Russia following the country’s “violence and disorder” imposed on the people of Ukraine. In a Tuesday announcement, Currency.com said Russian residents would no longer be able to access its services following the platform’s decision to stop Russia-based clients from opening new accounts. According to Currency.com’s website, the Gibraltar-based crypto trading platform has offices in Kyiv, London, and Vilnius, but was previously licensed and headquartered in Belarus. “We condemn the Russian aggression in the strongest possible terms,” said Vitalii Kedyk, head of strategy for the platform’s London operations …

The European Commission has clarified that crypto assets will fall under additional sanctions targeted against Russia and Belarus in response to the military conflict in Ukraine. In a Wednesday statement, the European Commission said member states had agreed to amend regulations with the goal of ensuring “even more effectively that Russian sanctions cannot be circumvented, including through Belarus.” The commission said crypto assets fell under the scope of “transferable securities,” adding that loans and credit provided using crypto would not be permitted as part of these restrictive financial measures. We are further tightening the net of sanctions responding to Russia’s …

Cryptocurrency exchanges and financial services companies will soon likely no longer be able to accept transactions completed with many major credit cards following the companies ceasing operations for Russia-based users. On March 5, Visa, Mastercard, and PayPal announced they would be suspending operations in Russia following the country’s military actions in Ukraine. Visa called Russia’s actions an “unprovoked invasion” while Mastercard said its decision was aimed at supporting the Ukrainian people. The following day, American Express made a similar announcement, saying it would stop operations in both Russia and neighboring Belarus. Apple Pay and Google Pay reportedly have restricted services …

As the West continues to impose more sanctions against Russian banks following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, one Ukrainian official has called for sanctions on Russians’ cryptocurrency holdings as well. Mykhailo Fedorov, Ukraine’s Minister of Digital Transformation, took to Twitter on Sunday to urge the global cryptocurrency exchanges to block addresses of Russian users. He emphasized that exchanges should freeze not only the addresses tied to Russia and Belarus officially but also to “sabotage ordinary users.” I'm asking all major crypto exchanges to block addresses of Russian users. It's crucial to freeze not only the addresses linked to Russian and Belarusian …

Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko has signed a decree affirming the country’s formal support of free circulation of cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin (BTC). Lukashenko’s press office announced Monday that the president has signed a decree “On the register of virtual wallet addresses and the circulation of cryptocurrency.” The document provides a legal basis for Belarus Hi-Tech Park to establish and manage a register of crypto wallet addresses used in illegal activities. The decree document specifically details the process and standards for seizing cryptocurrency from criminals by the government. The decree intends to protect crypto investors from potential losses and to “prevent unintentional …

Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko has called on the government to mine cryptocurrency use spare power infrastructure. Lukashenko spoke at the opening of the Petrikovsky mining and processing plant on Aug. 27, urging workers to move into crypto mining in Belarus instead of pursuing low-paying farming positions abroad, Russian news agency RBC reported. The president said that Belarus has enough electricity resources to power cryptocurrency mining, pointing to abandoned industrial sites that could be used to generate revenue. Lukashenko stated: “We must understand, they are not waiting for us anywhere [...] Build something based on electricity. After all, start mining cryptocurrencies …

Member states of the Eurasian Economic Union, or EAEU, have been struggling to come up with a shared stance regarding cryptocurrency regulations, according to an official. Iya Malkina, assistant chairman of the Eurasian Economic Commission Board, stated that EAEU member states did not support a recent initiative for a uniform cryptocurrency regulatory framework within the union. In a press briefing Wednesday, Malkina explained that the Eurasian Economic Commission received several proposals to synchronize regulations in the industry of blockchain and crypto. The EEC also recommended developing a basic uniform regulatory framework within the EAEU with a single glossary and principles. …

The Belarusian government has proposed to appoint the High Technologies Park Administration as a supervisory authority for local crypto exchanges and digital tokens, First Deputy Prime Minister Nikolai Snopkov announced on Tuesday. “The government has proposed to make the Administration of the Hi-Tech Park a supervisory body for crypto-exchanges and digital tokens. The President supported the government’s idea. I believe that such a decision will be made shortly,” Snopkov said. According to Snopkov, the government is currently trying to choose an appropriate government agency to supervise local crypto platforms in line with pan-European rules. Snopkov said, “It is logical that …

Belarus is studying the cryptocurrency industry for a potential move into mining digital coins like Bitcoin (BTC). The Ministry of Energy of the Republic of Belarus officially announced Friday that it is actively exploring the pros and cons of cryptocurrency mining. Minister Viktor Karankevich said that the crypto mining industry is rapidly growing all over the world in countries like China, the United States, Canada and Russia. The minister went on to say that the government is considering tapping into the mining industry following an investigation of the potential risks and other factors: “This is a new direction for us …

Belarusbank, the largest financial institution in Belarus, is reportedly launching a cryptocurrency exchange service. According to a Nov. 12 report by local news agency Prime Press, Belarusbank is rolling out a service allowing users to exchange cryptocurrency using a Visa payment card. As reported, the new service enables trading crypto against fiat currencies like the Belarusian ruble as well as the United States dollar and the euro. Belarusbank executives reportedly said that the launch of the new crypto service comes in line with the company’s digital transformation program that was announced a few years ago. The new service is reportedly …