“As part of the experimental regime, it is possible to use bitcoins, which we had mined here in Russia, in foreign trade transactions,” Russian Finance Minister Anton Siluanov said in an interview on the Russia 24 television channel.

Russia is now using Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies for international trade, according to Finance Minister Anton Siluanov.

Russian companies have begun using bitcoin and other digital currencies in international payments following legislative changes that allowed such use in order to counter Western sanctions, Finance Minister Anton Siluanov said on Wednesday.

Some businesses have begun using crypto, including bitcoin, to make international payments, Russia's finance minister said.

Facing crippling sanctions, Russia is turning to cryptocurrency to keep its global trade alive. With Bitcoin now fully legal for international payments in Russia, President Putin has embraced it as a compelling alternative to traditional finance.