Binance Joins Association of Russian Banks, Strengthening Strategic Relations

Binance cryptocurrency exchange has joined the Association of Russian Banks (ARB), which arguably bolsters its relationship with top financial institutions in the country.

As reported by a local media outlet, Prime, the onboarding of the trading platform into the banking organization was accompanied by establishing a new department within the body. 

The department is called the Expert Center for Digital Financial Assets and Digital Currencies. Per the report, it will be led by Olga Goncharova, the Binance Exchange’s Russia and CIS head. As a frontline expert in the digital currency ecosystem, Binance, through the expert Center, will supply members of the association with technical insights related to digital currencies.

As detailed in the report, the new “Expert Center” will help compile “professional opinions on the circulation of digital financial assets and digital currencies” and provide members “with expert and analytical materials” on the topic of crypto, as well as providing “international experience.”

The role of Binance is assuming is pivotal in the overall emancipation of digital currencies in Russia as the ARB is a body that consists of about 290 banks. Despite the country’s largest banking organizations such as Gazprombank, Sberbank, and six others are not being enlisted as members based on a recent fallout, the organization still has a prominent presence in determining the direction of financial policies in the country.

The Russian government has been analyzing its potential moves related to its engagement with Bitcoin and other digital currencies lately. While the Bank of Russia has proposed a ban option, the move has been heavily criticized by some of the country's local leaders, including Telegram founder and Chief Executive Officer Pavel Durov and Leonid Volkov, the Chief of Staff to the Russian opposition leader, Alexei Navalny.

The Bank has now resorted to banning Bitcoin mining, a move that it hopes will generally limit the circulation of the digital currency in the country. The ascension of Binance to the ARB may change the narrative even in ways that cannot be deciphered at this time.

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