Bitcoin Forum

Russian-based sports gym chain NanoFitness has announced it will begin accepting Bitcoin as payment for membership and related services.
This actually happened a few days ago and they announced it on their VK page : https://vk.com/wall-117861517_674 and you can also read an article about it from Bitcoinist : http://bitcoinist.com/russia-gym-accepting-bitcoin/

https://pp.vk.me/c626626/v626626143/441fb/akZC-SZEp0Q.jpg

I've seen all kinds of news regarding the policy of bitcoin in russia. They threatened with banning bitcoin endless times, they even threatened with putting people involved in cryptocurrences in jail for 4 years... then they backpeddle and realize it's stupid and do nothing. It's pretty interesting to see how governments are struggling to deal with bitcoin in a way that doesn't make them look stupid.

i would like to know if they did it because they believe in bitcoin, think they can make more money this way or if it is just a pr stunt.

Many news outlets ran a story several times saying that there were effectively regulations in place in Russia regarding capital control and that physical stores couldn't use Bitcoin for their services. Either this was entirely wrong (in which case news outlets were fooled, otherwise they wouldn't run this story so much) or these laws aren't really enforced or these guys are playing with fire. I guess this will bring this discussion up again...

As for the story itself, always positive to see someone accepting Bitcoin!


Either all of them, or just the last two :D

Thats really a great news. In india also, a school near bangalore has started accepting bitcoins as its annual fees. Lots of progress to go on and bitcoin is getting uncontrollable by the governments.

I would like to think with the current price increase it will dramatically start to have these countries and their stern view on bitcoin become to accept it instead of turn away from it.
This is a step in the right direction for the world wide acceptance of it and I have seen numerous news headlines just like this one all over the world starting to give rise to it's worldwide acceptance and encouraged value to each one's economy.

I remember reading months back, from what I assume to be a Russian member of this board, that Russia hadn't gone and banned Bitcoin like everyone was claiming and a portion of the government actually owned some, allegedly. I don't know if this is true, but I do know that a lot of the people were overhyping the stance of the Russian government on it all.

You know, we should create a similar site for Russia as we did with the Bitcoin obituaries, for every time someone says that Bitcoin is banned

in Russia, because it happens every other week now. I think the Russian people are so confused with all this false reporting that not even they

know what is the truth and what is not. This is not even funny anymore.  >:(

Didnt BTC-e shut down all russian business? im not sure if they invited them back or what.  There must be some truth in russian ban or maybes its because its risk control incase.

This news is old. There are weeks and even months in which is told about legalising bitcoin in Russia. See here: http://www.coindesk.com/bitcoin-currency-russia-ministry-finance-tax/ (http://www.coindesk.com/bitcoin-currency-russia-ministry-finance-tax/) and here: http://bitcoinist.com/russia-tax-bitcoin-foreign-currency/ (http://bitcoinist.com/russia-tax-bitcoin-foreign-currency/)

That's a good news. I have never thought Bitcoin was banned in Russia because I know many people from there using it. Although NanoFitness is not a very famous gym it is still nice of them to accept Bitcoin. We definitely need more news like this around the world.

There was a polemic about the bitcoin prohibition some time ago, but it was solved. Now that is very good news. Gyms accepting bitcoin will introduce a new public to crypto currencies, the bodybuilders and all the people going to gym.
It is useful like a marketing for bitcoins, we should thanks russians for this, they gave the first step on this.

yeah, Russia is a big country which can lead the other countries to start avcepting bitcoin. it is a good progress of bitcoin age.

but now I wonder, is that gym famous in Russia? I mean it will not bring more effects when only a few people who know that the gym accepts bitcoin.

well,it is legal in Russsia
please read the articles here,regarding the legality of bitcoin in Russia:
https://bit.news/eng/events-cryptocurrency-world-week-november-28-4-december-2016/
https://www.cryptocoinsnews.com/bitcoin-legal-default-russia-says-new-federal-tax-document/

also if you want to check the legality of bitcoin in your country you can try this :


https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Legality_of_bitcoin_by_country
http://money.cnn.com/interactive/technology/where-is-bitcoin-legal/
http://www.coindesk.com/information/is-bitcoin-legal/
http://www.forbes.com/sites/kashmirhill/2014/01/31/bitcoins-legality-around-the-world/#5cb504ed79b2

IMO They've already unbanned bitcoin.
http://www.businessinsider.com/russia-changes-its-mind-on-bitcoin-ban-2016-9?IR=T&r=US&IR=T

Russian has an opportunity be a friendly country for bitcoin soon.  :D

I don't think when they say that Russia has banned bitcoin means that everywhere in Russia has banned it.
It is the largest country in the world so their are regions in it that has accepted it and some that do not.
I would say that is safe to assume. Since we are not in Russia and can not say how thinks work there.

it's very great to hear this news from Russia. This is a big community of bitcoin . With this news, bitcoin can have a big pump about the price.
If it is real , I will buy more bitcoins to get some earnings from increase of bitcoin. Thank you for your share.

when i first heard about bitcoin being banned in Russia i did some googling and the only places that were saying it is banned were shitty bitcoin news sites and they were only aiming to bait some clicks and spread some FUD.
then i checked some more and saw there is one of the biggest bitcoin and blockchain conferences that is taking places in Moscow every year (it was in a month back when i checked it) then i realized how fake the news was.

I see a very good picture in the long term because bitcoin is competing with fiat and those who have used bitcoin before prefers to use bitcoin over fiat. A school in Karnataka state of India started accepting donations through bitcoins and we have seen ATMs are growing rapidly around the world. The bitcoin user base is increasing day by day and we would see such ‘bitcoin accepted here’ boards at our local merchant’s place.

There is a post published in one of social network addressed to the Russian banking authorities, explaining what is Bitcoin actually. And it says how secure and useful Bitcoin to avoid American attempts to block SWIFT for Russia (what they already did to Iran).
Unfortunately it is in Russian only http://obozrov.livejournal.com/1953.html

Look like they have a poor communication system in place between the Cabinet and the Federation Council and the State Duma, because the estimated 144 000 000 people seems to have no clue what the official policy is regarding Crypto currencies in Russia.

Someone should just make a official statement regarding this and post it online. < or did we miss something > ? As a Bitcoin merchant, I would hate to build my business in such a scenario.

To my knowledge in November 2016 ago the Russian Federal Tax Agency officially legalized the use of Bitcoin in Russia? Indeed bitcoin ever illegal there, but now officially bitcoin become legal in Rusia. So it is reasonable if it starts there are some that adopt bitcoin in Russia. But it was very good for bitcoin because Russian population is very large, so the adoption of bitcoin becomes larger.

this was a nice move by them, I am always glad to see bitcoin used this way and most importantly in public.

but the news about bitcoin being banned in Russia was extremely exaggerated just like bitcoin being banned in China and many other places.
many countries have talked about dangers of bitcoin and criminal activities and it is completely understandable but they always warn about these things and never talk about banning it, and even the ban law never gets confirmed by the court.

Probably all three. It would be interesting to know if they are keeping the coins, or exchanging them quickly. If I get time. I might look up the wallet info. :)