Russian President Vladimir Putin delivers a speech through the Russian Power Week occasion on October 13, 2021 in Moscow, Russia.
Mikhail Svetlov | Getty Photographs
Russian President Vladimir Putin thinks cryptocurrencies have worth — however he is not satisfied they’ll substitute the U.S. greenback in settling oil trades.
Some months in the past, Russia’s deputy prime minister, Alexander Novak, instructed the nation could move away from greenback-denominated crude contracts if the U.S. continues to impose focused financial sanctions.
Requested whether or not bitcoin or one other cryptocurrency could possibly be used as an alternative choice to the greenback, Putin stated it is “too early to speak concerning the commerce of power assets in crypto.”
“I consider that it has worth,” he informed CNBC’s Hadley Gamble on the Russian Power Week occasion in Moscow Wednesday. “However I do not consider it may be used within the oil commerce.”
“Cryptocurrency is just not supported by something as of but,” Putin stated. “It might exist as a way of fee, however I feel it is too early to say concerning the oil commerce in cryptocurrency.”
The Russian chief additionally flagged cryptocurrencies’ large consumption of power as a possible barrier to their use. Bitcoin requires a number of computing energy to course of transactions and mint new tokens.
