Russian Central Bank Acknowledged Bitcoin as the most performing asset

[betswift]

Volatility is not yet a thing of the past, mate. Price might not be fluctuating the way it used to in the past, but that does not make Bitcoin not volatile again. As long as price still experiences up-and-down movement and it's not stable in one place, then we shouldn't be talking about Bitcoin not being volatile. Only stable coins are not volatile, Bitcoin still can't be completely predicted can only make assumptions and speculations, but you can't predict its next move.

It's in the process of becoming the thing that will affect BTC less and less - sure thing, the price still moves and moves quite well, but not as much as it may of moved during previous cycles.

[Abiky]

That is from the Central Bank that has detestfully condemned Bitcoin for years. But now appreciate Bitcoin because it has helped them. Russians now realise the beauty of the decentralisation of Bitcoin against the dominance of the Western world.

According to PANews, the Russian Central Bank has identified Bitcoin as the best-performing asset in the Russian financial market for April 2025, with a price increase of 11.2% during the month. The bank also highlighted Bitcoin's year-to-date performance, which leads with a return rate of 17.6%, surpassing stocks, bonds, and gold.

https://www.binance.com/en/square/post/05-16-2025-bitcoin-recognized-as-top-asset-by-russian-central-bank-in-april-2025-24301170852802

Bitcoin's protective covering is mistaken for individual protection alone, not knowing it's also for countries against foes and external financial restrictions and intimidations from other countries and powers.

Of course. They're not that stupid. Russians know Bitcoin is the perfect way to circumvent sanctions. Even if centralized exchanges forbid Russian governments officials and individuals from buying/selling Bitcoin (due to sanctions), that won't stop BTC from growing in the region. Since it's decentralized, trading activities can resume in-person or through a decentralized exchange. Putin and his cronies know this, so they will embrace BTC at its fullest. They might as well ditch the USD completely, following other countries' footsteps (mainly those within the BRICS alliance).

Expect BTC to rise even further in price as a result of increased adoption by the Russians. Slowly but surely, the world is recognizing Bitcoin as the next "Digital Gold". I'd say Gold's "death" is certain. Possibly even Fiat, too. We'll see what happens in the long run.

[CryptSafe]

... they will never be friendly to Bitcoin as long as it is decentralized and out of their control.

So why is Russia using Bitcoin to bypass restrictions?

I mean, I get they won’t fully adopt it or make it their official currency, but if they’re using it to get around sanctions, isn’t that just… crypto-friendly?

I don't know at what scale the Russian government is using Bitcoin specially since bitcoin cannot help bypass sanctions at government level but they could definitely become friendlier toward Bitcoin (they legalized crypto mining on Aug 2024), and maybe I'm thinking so negatively about governments but I honestly don't see any scenario where any government would be completely friendly toward Bitcoin since they cannot control it or surveil and restrict its transactions.
They'll just use it as a tool as long as there is a benefit (like tax revenue) and ban it the moment it stops being beneficial.

Russia case seems a bit different here, it was on air that the Russian government had an energy deal with China and the mode of payment was through Bitcoin and it is likely a way to bypass western sanctions on them and the both countries have strong ties which no one can come in between.

The Russian government seems open and receptive to  new innovations and we can see that in their move to adopting Bitcoin and also legalizing Crypto mining in their country. This alone shows their stand on accepting new innovations as they are also a world power so it would be in their own best interests to tap into the technology so fast to be ahead of others irrespective of the tax and other benefits they derive from Bitcoin and Crypto transactions in their country.

Since Russia was sanctioned by America, Russian companies started using btc in international payments, of course they did this to counter the American sanctions. Of course, the regulation is only for international transactions, not for domestic transactions. As is known, American sanctions have made it difficult for Russia to trade with its main partners such as China or Turkey, because local banks are very careful with transactions related to Russia to avoid scrutiny from American regulators.

So Russia has allowed the use of cryptocurrencies in foreign trade since last year and has made some changes to the rules to legalize it regarding bitcoin mining as you said. Russia is also one of the bitcoin mining, this proves that Russia knows very well that btc is the best performing asset. Even if I am not mistaken, Russian lawmakers have encouraged their country to create a strategic bitcoin reserve. The Russian president has also stated and praised bitcoin as an alternative foreign currency reserve after the confiscation of his funds by western governments.

So I was wondering if Bitcoin were not in existence, what would they have done? What means would they have used to execute international transactions, and how would they have been able to measure up with internal allies in terms of trade and other financial dealings? Now you know why Bitcoin should be more decentralized and not have anyone interfere with it. I believe this was proof that the Russian President had to see for himself the benefit of decentralization with bitcoin and cryptocurrency before giving express approval for the adoption and legalization of bitcoin in Russia.

Using bitcoin was the alternative means of bypassing international sanctions, which worked out perfectly well because no one would know who was transacting to interfere, but only the officials involved in the transactions know about it, compared to fiat. This is privacy in play, and the power of decentralization with Bitcoin.

[betswift]

-snip-

Expect BTC to rise even further in price as a result of increased adoption by the Russians. Slowly but surely, the world is recognizing Bitcoin as the next "Digital Gold". I'd say Gold's "death" is certain. Possibly even Fiat, too. We'll see what happens in the long run.

Would be "dead" though? I would rather say that the two would be put on the same pedestal, being used for different cases at different times (when needed), at least by the governments (which we discuss here, not on a scale of a person and such).

[PrivacyG]

Would be "dead" though? I would rather say that the two would be put on the same pedestal, being used for different cases at different times (when needed), at least by the governments (which we discuss here, not on a scale of a person and such).

Gold is definitely not going to die.  There has not been as much hype for Gold as there has been for Bitcoin in the past decade and the rich class surely prefers Gold, publicly at least.  But they serve two different purposes although they seem to have a striking similarity.  Gold will continue to be used in a lot of industries, there is no viable alternative yet with the same level of specifications or even better and at the same cost or cheaper than it.  Bitcoin can do wonders in a lot of ways, but a cyber attack can and will put Bitcoin down until it is solved.

Also, Bitcoin will never be FRIENDS with the Government unlike a few people in this topic say.  They may be neutral to Bitcoin since there is no way they can totally conquer it but it will never be their friend.  Gold supply is easier to manipulate.  It is also easier to hide illegality done by Governments and politicians through Gold than it is through Bitcoin.  If you want a closer match, it may be Monero.  But then Monero is better AND worse.  A politician can go on with their life without anybody else spying on them.  Amazing for them!  At the same time however, we can ALL go on with our lives without anybody questioning us or our financial choices.  Worse than anything else for them!

Realistically, anything that takes power from the most powerful classes of today will be their number one enemy.  They can pretend they like Bitcoin and want to help it all they want, they will never gain my trust and I will always question their plans to make Bitcoin 'better'.

[BlackBoss_]

Also, Bitcoin will never be FRIENDS with the Government unlike a few people in this topic say.  They may be neutral to Bitcoin since there is no way they can totally conquer it but it will never be their friend.  Gold supply is easier to manipulate.  It is also easier to hide illegality done by Governments and politicians through Gold than it is through Bitcoin.  If you want a closer match, it may be Monero.  But then Monero is better AND worse.  A politician can go on with their life without anybody else spying on them.  Amazing for them!  At the same time however, we can ALL go on with our lives without anybody questioning us or our financial choices.  Worse than anything else for them!

Governments surely don't know things that can help their citizens to hide their identities, assets and well-being so they will never consider Bitcoin as one of their 'friends'. They can not kill Bitcoin and they also don't want to miss a train. Even at governmental and national levels, they are affected by FOMO, so they don't want to be outsiders while other nations joined this industry and opened their gates for Bitcoin.

It is global competition amongst hundreds of nations to give Bitcoin users as most friendly nation as possible. Even politicians want as best privacy as they can, so Bitcoin and Monero can be on top of their considering options. It is hilariously that they don't want their citizens having almost the same benefits.

[serjent05]

Volatility is not yet a thing of the past, mate. Price might not be fluctuating the way it used to in the past, but that does not make Bitcoin not volatile again. As long as price still experiences up-and-down movement and it's not stable in one place, then we shouldn't be talking about Bitcoin not being volatile. Only stable coins are not volatile, Bitcoin still can't be completely predicted can only make assumptions and speculations, but you can't predict its next move.

Volatility is needed to attract traders, If there is no volatility in the market, it will be dead.  Remember being stable and having volatility can occur at the same time like saying Bitcoin is trading in a stable range of x - y where x - y is the volatility of Bitcoin.  With that, volatility will never cease to exist unless Bitcoin is declared to have a fixed pricing value.  Volatility will never be a thing of the past, especially if we talk about Bitcoin market.

-snip-

Expect BTC to rise even further in price as a result of increased adoption by the Russians. Slowly but surely, the world is recognizing Bitcoin as the next "Digital Gold". I'd say Gold's "death" is certain. Possibly even Fiat, too. We'll see what happens in the long run.

Fiat currency will never face "death" as long as the government that issues it exists.  About gold, it has a real life usage, so being certain of gold "death" is somehow delusional IMHO.  Bitcoin may beat gold but it will not result to "death" of gold.

[madnessteat]

~ For Bitcoin to be firmly accepted and trusted in international transactions, its price must stabilize and de-peg from the dollar, so that 1 BTC = 1 BTC, without being pegged to the dollar or any other currency.

That's a very strange statement. The price of Bitcoin is not tied to the price of the US dollar or to the price of any other currency. Any asset has changing quotes to many national currencies depending on supply and demand in the market according to one of the basic laws of economics. Otherwise, it is simply impossible to imagine a system for buying and selling Bitcoin. Purely hypothetically, Bitcoin could be not traded in pairs to national currencies, but then the whole world would have to switch to a single currency - Bitcoin. Otherwise, it is simply impossible.

[yhiaali3]

~ For Bitcoin to be firmly accepted and trusted in international transactions, its price must stabilize and de-peg from the dollar, so that 1 BTC = 1 BTC, without being pegged to the dollar or any other currency.

That's a very strange statement. The price of Bitcoin is not tied to the price of the US dollar or to the price of any other currency. Any asset has changing quotes to many national currencies depending on supply and demand in the market according to one of the basic laws of economics. Otherwise, it is simply impossible to imagine a system for buying and selling Bitcoin. Purely hypothetically, Bitcoin could be not traded in pairs to national currencies, but then the whole world would have to switch to a single currency - Bitcoin. Otherwise, it is simply impossible.

No, it's not a strange statement. I think this is simply what Satoshi wanted when he invented Bitcoin...
Satoshi wanted to create a decentralized currency, unconnected to any financial or economic system in the world, and unconnected to any currency, whether the dollar, the euro, or any other...

But this isn't happening now. Can you evaluate how much 1 BTC is worth without linking it to the dollar, the euro, or any other currency?

[SilverCryptoBullet]

No, it's not a strange statement. I think this is simply what Satoshi wanted when he invented Bitcoin...
Satoshi wanted to create a decentralized currency, unconnected to any financial or economic system in the world, and unconnected to any currency, whether the dollar, the euro, or any other...

But this isn't happening now. Can you evaluate how much 1 BTC is worth without linking it to the dollar, the euro, or any other currency?

Satoshi Nakamoto actually had some idea of linking between Bitcoin total supply and something in the world economy. Surely it relates to fiat currency too because in a world that is governed by governments, you can not trade like in prehistoric times with direct trade of one time for another item without cash, fiat currency.

The world now and in future will not return to prehistoric times many centuries ago.

https://decrypt.co/34876/why-is-bitcoins-supply-limit-set-to-21-million

[yhiaali3]

No, it's not a strange statement. I think this is simply what Satoshi wanted when he invented Bitcoin...
Satoshi wanted to create a decentralized currency, unconnected to any financial or economic system in the world, and unconnected to any currency, whether the dollar, the euro, or any other...

But this isn't happening now. Can you evaluate how much 1 BTC is worth without linking it to the dollar, the euro, or any other currency?

Satoshi Nakamoto actually had some idea of linking between Bitcoin total supply and something in the world economy. Surely it relates to fiat currency too because in a world that is governed by governments, you can not trade like in prehistoric times with direct trade of one time for another item without cash, fiat currency.

The world now and in future will not return to prehistoric times many centuries ago.

https://decrypt.co/34876/why-is-bitcoins-supply-limit-set-to-21-million

Yes, Satoshi had the idea of ​​linking Bitcoin to the global economy in a decentralized manner, not to a specific currency or economy. The whole idea came to Satoshi in 2008, when the global economy was on the verge of collapse due to the problems of the American economy, which nearly led to the collapse of the dollar and, consequently, the collapse of the global financial system.

This is precisely why Satoshi had the idea of ​​creating a decentralized currency, unlinked to any economy or fiat currency. If Satoshi's plan succeeds and Bitcoin is adopted as a decentralized global currency, the collapse of the dollar or any other fiat currency will not cause the collapse of the global financial system.

[EarnOnVictor]

... they will never be friendly to Bitcoin as long as it is decentralized and out of their control.

So why is Russia using Bitcoin to bypass restrictions?

I mean, I get they won’t fully adopt it or make it their official currency, but if they’re using it to get around sanctions, isn’t that just… crypto-friendly?

I don't know at what scale the Russian government is using Bitcoin specially since bitcoin cannot help bypass sanctions at government level.

Bro, don't see the Russian state of affairs as before, the government is desperate and is surely using Bitcoin to bypass the Western sanctions. If not, it would have been severe on them, and the old ways would have won by now. After all, it's the reason for the sanctions.

The Russian government, like every other governments, has secrets, even though Russians' Bitcoin transactions weren't kept secret, but I tell you, many important government Bitcoin transactions would be kept secret. It's all about cross-border transactions, and Bitcoin is surely helpful here.

The government broke deals daily, it mustn't be direct. If the Russian government wanted to pay the Turkish government, for example, all it needs to do is get the Bitcoin, move it to its agent/dealer in Turkey (if the government doesn't want Bitcoin), change it to whatever currency of choice and transfer it to the Turkish government. This is sanction evasive and 100% legal.

https://www.reuters.com/business/energy/russia-leans-cryptocurrencies-oil-trade-sources-say-2025-03-14/

[madnessteat]

~ For Bitcoin to be firmly accepted and trusted in international transactions, its price must stabilize and de-peg from the dollar, so that 1 BTC = 1 BTC, without being pegged to the dollar or any other currency.

That's a very strange statement. The price of Bitcoin is not tied to the price of the US dollar or to the price of any other currency. Any asset has changing quotes to many national currencies depending on supply and demand in the market according to one of the basic laws of economics. Otherwise, it is simply impossible to imagine a system for buying and selling Bitcoin. Purely hypothetically, Bitcoin could be not traded in pairs to national currencies, but then the whole world would have to switch to a single currency - Bitcoin. Otherwise, it is simply impossible.

No, it's not a strange statement. I think this is simply what Satoshi wanted when he invented Bitcoin...
Satoshi wanted to create a decentralized currency, unconnected to any financial or economic system in the world, and unconnected to any currency, whether the dollar, the euro, or any other...

But this isn't happening now. Can you evaluate how much 1 BTC is worth without linking it to the dollar, the euro, or any other currency?

If Bitcoin is not pegged to national currencies, it cannot be bought and sold. In such a situation, it would completely devalue Bitcoin.

Satoshi Nakamoto wanted to create a decentralized peer-to-peer payment network for people who cannot access banking services because they are expensive and impossible to use and people who do not want to cooperate with banks. These goals have been achieved. Only at present, the use of Bitcoin by ordinary people remains under great question because of too high fees.

[Abiky]

Fiat currency will never face "death" as long as the government that issues it exists.  About gold, it has a real life usage, so being certain of gold "death" is somehow delusional IMHO.  Bitcoin may beat gold but it will not result to "death" of gold.

Maybe. But we can never tell what the future will bring. What if governments manage to amass most (if not all) of Bitcoin's supply? A centralized BTC would be no different than Fiat. Only then, government-issued currencies' death would be certain. The odds of this happening are slim, though.

As for Gold, it won't "die" but it will lose investor appeal. People will no longer consider it as a store of value, but rather a luxury item used solely for jewelry and whatnot. Bitcoin will eventually replace Gold as the world's largest and most trusted store of value. Countries from around the world are already recognizing BTC's potential, so it should only be a matter of time before this happens. With Russia on-board the crypto craze, I wonder if China and North Korea will be next?

[Iranus]

As for Gold, it won't "die" but it will lose investor appeal. People will no longer consider it as a store of value, but rather a luxury item used solely for jewelry and whatnot. Bitcoin will eventually replace Gold as the world's largest and most trusted store of value. Countries from around the world are already recognizing BTC's potential, so it should only be a matter of time before this happens. With Russia on-board the crypto craze, I wonder if China and North Korea will be next?

I don't know if it will happen or when it will happen, but with what has happened and is happening. I am sure that bitcoin will not be able to surpass gold anytime soon, let alone replace gold and become the world's most trusted store of value.

It is true that many countries around the world have realized the potential of BTC and started adopting it, but that does not mean that they intend or use it to replace gold. All they say about bitcoin is that it has the potential to be like gold, bitcoin is digital gold...no one says it will replace gold in the future. Bitcoin being like gold doesn't mean it can replace gold, we shouldn't mix the two together.

[Abiky]

I don't know if it will happen or when it will happen, but with what has happened and is happening. I am sure that bitcoin will not be able to surpass gold anytime soon, let alone replace gold and become the world's most trusted store of value.

It is true that many countries around the world have realized the potential of BTC and started adopting it, but that does not mean that they intend or use it to replace gold. All they say about bitcoin is that it has the potential to be like gold, bitcoin is digital gold...no one says it will replace gold in the future. Bitcoin being like gold doesn't mean it can replace gold, we shouldn't mix the two together.

Nothing is set in stone. But in this increasingly-digital world, it's hard to believe physical assets will retain their value in the long run. The future is tokenization of assets (RWAs) whenever we like it or not. Even BlackRock showed interest in this. It won't be long before BTC overcomes Gold in market cap. The "yellow metal" will probably even lose investor appeal as everything will shift to the digital realm.

Of course, this doesn't mean Gold will disappear in the long run. But it will be solely used for decorative/fashion purposes. As a store of value, it will no longer reign supreme. Same as Silver which could eventually be replaced by Litecoin. Only Fiat currencies will survive. Especially when they're backed by governments and central banks. The party is just getting started, so hold on tight as this is going to be a wild ride.

[hero_the_bossman]

If Bitcoin is not pegged to national currencies, it cannot be bought and sold. In such a situation, it would completely devalue Bitcoin.

Satoshi Nakamoto wanted to create a decentralized peer-to-peer payment network for people who cannot access banking services because they are expensive and impossible to use and people who do not want to cooperate with banks. These goals have been achieved. Only at present, the use of Bitcoin by ordinary people remains under great question because of too high fees.

LN fixes this, plus, yeah, BTC is not is the phase of its ordinary and main usage - it's mostly seen as store of value, but we may see it change as time goes on and people change their stance on it.

[Muba20]

From another angle, I think we can still consider it good news, because it just shows that the popularity of bitcoin cannot be stopped from being recognized

When Russia was isolated from the world in economic transactions, they were able to realize how much the decentralized currency Bitcoin is needed. Since then, I think they have been giving special importance to Bitcoin. This is one of the ways for everyone to be independent, not only in Russia but also around the world. Not only in the case of ordinary investors, the importance of Bitcoin is now at all levels. Bitcoin will definitely serve as a weapon to protect it from any attack at any time, from the individual level to the national level. I must thank the Russian banking authority for taking the right decision. Those who oppose Bitcoin will understand it even if it is late, but those who adopt it quickly will be able to benefit more.

[hero_the_bossman]

From another angle, I think we can still consider it good news, because it just shows that the popularity of bitcoin cannot be stopped from being recognized

When Russia was isolated from the world in economic transactions, they were able to realize how much the decentralized currency Bitcoin is needed. Since then, I think they have been giving special importance to Bitcoin. This is one of the ways for everyone to be independent, not only in Russia but also around the world. Not only in the case of ordinary investors, the importance of Bitcoin is now at all levels. Bitcoin will definitely serve as a weapon to protect it from any attack at any time, from the individual level to the national level. I must thank the Russian banking authority for taking the right decision. Those who oppose Bitcoin will understand it even if it is late, but those who adopt it quickly will be able to benefit more.

The only sad thing here is that BTC is seen as a good tool / utility case only when it is truly needed or it's a dire situation on someone's part, as we can see and reflect here.

I do hope that won't be the case in the future..

[madnessteat]

From another angle, I think we can still consider it good news, because it just shows that the popularity of bitcoin cannot be stopped from being recognized
and adopted by other private sectors for use in their companies or businesses.

This is if they are really serious, it is really good news that we can say that, because we know that it is a centralized while bitcoin is decentralized so it is up to them how
they execute it in their business type.

If anyone thinks that the Russian authorities have any problems with cross-border payments, they are mistaken. There is a wide variety of cross-border transfers even without the use of cryptocurrencies, so it is rather naive to assume that the Russian authorities use Bitcoin for cross-border payments. There are a huge number of companies and countries in the world that can help with any issues related to circumventing sanctions. A good example is Iran, which has been under sanctions for about 40 years and where you can buy almost anything.