No threats seen, but Russia will keep close eye on cryptocurrency

So far, so good.

Authorities in Russia say they do not see any threats—yet—from the use of digital currencies in the country, Russian news agency TASS.

For years, authorities in Russia, particularly the Ministry of Finance of the Russian Federations, have been very vocal in opposing digital currency in the country. In fact, ministry officials has been working on a draft law that will punish those who use bitcoins and engage cryptocurrency trade and mining activities.

That bill, however, has met strong opposition even before reaching the lower chamber of the Russian Parliament. In May, the Ministry of Justice challenged the bill’s lack of a precise definition for money substitutes or ‘surrogates,’ which is the term that Russian officials often use to describe bitcoin.