MOSCOW — Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Tuesday that Russian President Vladimir Putin's words regarding the potential use of cryptocurrencies including Bitcoin as a unit of calculation in some areas of Russia should not be taken as a support for Bitcoins.
"The talk was not specifically about Bitcoins. It was about some forms of conditional payments. It can not be taken as a specific support for Bitcoins," Peskov told reporters.
In June 2015, Chairman of the Russian Central Bank Elvira Nabiullina said that the Bank of Russia understands the attractive sides of Bitcoins for consumers, but also sees the risks of their use.
Bitcoin is one of the most popular virtual currencies. In 2013, the US Senate Committee on Homeland Security recognized the virtual currency as legitimate financial services.