Leaked Letter by Russian Official Points to Bitcoin Conference in Moscow

The lower house of the Russian parliament, the State Duma, has scheduled a digital currency conference to take place on the 2nd of June, 2016.

According to a leaked letter posted on Forklog – which is allegedly signed by Duma Chairman Andrey Lugovoy – the conference is titled “Electronic Currency in Light of Contemporary Legal and Economic Challenges”.

Andrey Lugovoy is one of the few Russian officials to take a positive stance on virtual currencies. In March, Lugavoy told Russian news agency Moskva, that an outright ban on digital currencies and the technologies that power this new innovation may not be in the best interest of the Russian Federation.

The letter invites Russian government officials, industry experts, regulators and lawmakers to attend the event. The letter states that the conference is designed to provide an open forum for the exploration of the legal, economic and societal implications of the usage of virtual currencies within the Russian Federation.

Speakers are urged to register for the conference before the 15th of May, and to also send an email explaining their topic of choice.

The Forklog report suggests that the conference is timed to coincide with Ethereum Founder Vitalik Buterin’s visit to Russia, but there has been no independent verification of these claims yet.

While the letter may be a sign of shifting attitudes towards digital currencies by senior Russian officials, its authenticity has not been confirmed by outside sources. However, the Bank of Russia fintech working group – which has been studying blockchains and distributed ledgers – will be presenting their findings this June, which also matches the data specified in this letter.

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