As first reported by a Russian news outlet, Izvestia, the Ministry of Finance in Russia, is proposing an amendment to the federal law on digital financial assets (DFA) that could see Bitcoin miners receive no rewards on their efforts. According to the letter, the amendment allows Bitcoin mining using Russian infrastructure, but miners are not allowed to receive rewards in crypto.

The amendment further bans all transactions using virtual currencies in the country with three main exceptions. However, the amendment to DFA is yet to be finalized. The letter has been sent out for interdepartmental coordination and approval across different government departments.

The new amendment raises several questions on the implementation and wording of the document. As stated above, Bitcoin, Ethereum, and other crypto miners will be allowed to mine their tokens but will be stripped of its financial value as miners cannot receive BTC or ETH.

Several experts have since condemned the amendment as a “revenue loss” for the country, calling for revisions on the bill. Speaking on the issue, Dmitry Zakharov, CEO of Moscow Digital School, stated the “wording does not bode well for miners” as no other alternative has been offered on how to receive mining rewards. He added,

“Perhaps experts will try to come up with some interesting legal constructions, but all of them will be fraught with significant risks of bringing to administrative and criminal liability.”

If the amendment passes, then Russia could lose a share of its revenues, another expert on the matter said. According to Anton Babenko, partner of the Padva and Epstein law office, prohibiting receiving crypto could lead to more people not reporting their revenues, leading to tax losses.

Russia implemented a total crypto ban last year causing a public outcry that caused the parliament to shut down the ban. The latest amendments stipulate a similar ban – prohibiting any individuals, companies, or entrepreneurs from performing any transactions with virtual money. However, the amendments stipulate three exceptions to the rule – an inheritance of crypto assets, enforcement proceedings, and if a debtor goes bankrupt.

Any use of crypto in the country could lead to legal and criminal liability on the user with a 100 thousand rubles fine on individuals or five to seven years prison time and up to 1 million in fines for legal entities.

The new rules aim at tightening the use of cryptocurrencies in Russia in a bid to stop illicit items and illegal activities using Bitcoin and crypto in Russia. According to a law expert, the new amendment constitutes a “total ban on cryptocurrencies” which could have a severe impact on the countries crypto space.

The country’s policies on crypto could be a missed opportunity for the country, economist, Vladislav Ginko said earlier this month even as Russia extends its efforts in hoarding physical gold.

The post Russia’s New Amendment On Crypto Laws Could See Bitcoin Miners Lose All Their Rewards first appeared on BitcoinExchangeGuide.

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