Binance, the largest cryptocurrency exchange, said it was restricting services to Russian citizens on Thursday. Namely, those who have €10,000 crypto assets, Given the latest EU sanctions against Russia. Earlier this month, the fifth package of EU sanctions against Moscow targeted cryptocurrencies, currencies, and banks; this move should shut down potential services that Russians could transfer money abroad.
Russian citizens or legal entities in Russia who have a balance of crypto accounts above 10,000 euros will have 90 days to close their positions. Binance said versions affected by EU restrictions would only be in withdrawal mode; no deposits or trades will allow. The statement came after the company said last month that cardholders of sanctioned Russian banks would not be able to use them on their platform; It is worth noting that access to authorized persons is restricted.
Binance and Russia-Ukraine War
It is worth noting that some of the largest cryptocurrency exchanges in the world remain in Russia. Experts say it undermines central finances with a decision that weakens Western attempts to isolate Moscow after it invades Ukraine.
Western sanctions aimed at shrinking the Russian economy and isolating it from its global financial system forced companies and financial firms to close businesses in the country. However, many of the world’s largest cryptocurrencies – including Binance, Kraken, and Coinbase – have lifted the total ban on Russian clients, despite a request from the Ukrainian government. They said they would screen users and block anyone who would be the target of sanctions.
Still, some experts do not rule out that exchanges could open the way for Russians to transfer money abroad. This, of course, hurts Ukraine and countries trying to withdraw troops from Russia and push for an end to the war. Crypto-experts say the people targeted by the sanctions may have tried to transfer the money through confidential coins; a class of cryptocurrencies that obscures users more than Bitcoin. Supporters say they offer consumers more protection from intrusive monitoring by governments.
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