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Belarus Bank to Offer Bitcoin Purchases, With Litecoin and Ether Coming Soon
A Belarusian bank is launching a bitcoin buying service via bank cards for citizens of Belarus and Russia.
Belarusbank, one of the largest credit institutions in Belarus, has partnered with OTC broker White Bird to offer a bitcoin buying service, according to an announcement Monday.
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For now, purchases will be available via bank cards issued in Belarus and Russia (the two countries' financial systems are well connected). But going forward, the bank is planning to sell cryptocurrency in other neighboring countries, such as Ukraine, Georgia and Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) nations.
According to Belarusbank spokesperson Alexei Kulik, users will be able to withdraw bitcoin to their wallets "with no intermediaries whatsoever." The service will function using White Bird's online infrastructure.
Also read: Belarus Nonprofit Helps Protestors With Bitcoin Grants
Litecoin and ether are expected to be added to the service soon, Kulik told CoinDesk via email.
Belarus officially legalized crypto transactions in 2018. Bitcoin has become a key tool for distributing help to Belarusians who lost their jobs during protests against President Alexander Lukashenko that have been rocking the country since mid-August.
Anna Baydakova
Anna writes about blockchain projects and regulation with a special focus on Eastern Europe and Russia. She is especially excited about stories on privacy, cybercrime, sanctions policies and censorship resistance of decentralized technologies.
She graduated from the Saint Petersburg State University and the Higher School of Economics in Russia and got her Master's degree at Columbia Journalism School in New York City.
She joined CoinDesk after years of writing for various Russian media, including the leading political outlet Novaya Gazeta.
Anna owns BTC and an NFT of sentimental value.
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