Lev Hasis, vice-president of the Board of Chairs at Sberbank, says that the largest bank of Russia is considering joining R3 consortium to explore blockchain.In his interview to Kommersant news agency, Lev Hasis explains that Sberbank has been collaborating with the consortium, evaluating the perspectives of blockchain technology and studying R3 documentation, in order to decide whether it should join the group. Hasis assures that Sberbank would be among the first banks to introduce the technology, after the standards and industrial solutions are finally set.

 

Gazeta.ru quotes some Russian experts saying that, in light of international sanctions, the fear of switching off SWIFT for Russian banks has become quite strong. They believe that by introducing blockchain Sberbank can reach higher level of security and independence.

 

The head of Sberbank Herman Gref highly assesses cryptotechnologies. He has publicly revealed having bitcoins in his possession.

 

Russian Ministry of Finance, though quite strict and negative about bitcoin, keeps saying that while digital currencies should be banned, the blockchain technology behind them is worth trying.