In a meeting with Herman Gref, president of the largest Russian bank Sberbank, Russian President Vladimir Putin underlined the importance of not developing the Blockchain

Sberbank has already introduced the Blockchain in its systems of transfer and storage of documents by associating with the Federal Antimonopoly Service (FAS ) of Russia in December of last year. The bank will soon open a cryptocurrency purse in Switzerland

Gref's addressed directly to Putin, speaking of what he sees as the need for programs to train professionals in Blockchain in because of the size of the global industry. Gref also spoke of the need for a "very cautious regulation" "prohibitions", to promote innovation.

In response, Putin, without specifically mentioning Blockchain, poses the question of why Russia needs this industry, when "we have all […] oil, gas, coal, metals of all kinds […] gold, platinum, diamonds, everything! " then says that the industry is growing well in Russia and has a " good intellectual base. "

Putin then adds that Russia needs its own "burst", and quotes an analogy given by a former oil minister of an unnamed Arab country:

"L & Stone age did not end for lack of stones, but because new technologies appeared. "

According to Putin, countries that are late to adopt this new technology, that he never mentions by name, "will fall very quickly under the control of the di of this development ", which is something that " Russia can not in any way allow: "

" We must make the most of these factors […] to guarantee this progress in the future. "

Putin spoke of the idea of ​​Russia launching its own strategy. "CryptoRuble", but its legality and launch is a continuous gray area.

More recently, last January, after consulting the co-founder of Ethereum Vitalik Buterin, Putin suggested launching a new multinational cryptocurrency by the BRICS countries and the UEE for take advantage of Blockchain and smart contracts.