Russia Close to Starting Trials of Crypto Payments, Exchanges

Russia is close to starting trials of cryptocurrency exchanges and the use of digital tokens for cross-border transactions to help ease payment difficulties for companies in the country, which has been hit by international sanctions.

The trials will start Sept. 1, said two people with knowledge of the matter who asked not to be named discussing private information. Russia will use the National Payment Card System for swapping between rubles and cryptocurrencies when testing payments and the exchange platform, they said.