Russia Prohibits Government Officials From Owning Crypto, Must Dump Holdings by April

The Russian Ministry of Labor has reportedly banned government officials from owning and using cryptocurrencies. Officials have also been ordered to dispose of any cryptocurrencies they own by April.

Russia Prohibits Government Officials From Holding or Using Cryptocurrencies

The Ministry of Labor and Social Protection of the Russian Federation has issued a letter in which it informed civil servants that they must get rid of any cryptocurrencies they are holding by April 1, Forklog reported Friday.

“Officials are obliged to dispose of digital financial assets issued in information systems organized in accordance with foreign law, as well as digital currencies, regardless of the country of issue,” the letter says. The news outlet described:

The letter also establishes a ban for civil servants to own and use these types of assets.

The letter specifies persons affected by the new law, naming in particular those holding government or state positions, employees of the Central Bank of the Russian Federation, employees of certain categories of organizations, and their ownership from Jan. 1, 2021.

Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a decree on Dec. 10, 2020, requiring government officials and applicants for the relevant positions to declare any cryptocurrencies or tokens owned by them, their spouses, and minor children. The first disclosure must be submitted between Jan. 1 and June 30 this year. According to the publication, reporting of digital financial assets and digital currency acquisitions in 2020 are not required.

The Law on Digital Financial Assets came into force in Russia on Jan. 1. It recognizes cryptocurrencies as property but prohibits their use for payments. The draft law on taxation of operations with cryptocurrency was submitted to the State Duma in early December last year.