#Ukraine

According to Sergei Shatski, the head of retail payments department at the National Bank of Ukraine, the country’s banking system is well-developed technologically, however, the regulator needs more time to check everything before actually implementing blockchain technology.

The National Bank of Ukraine has banned four payment systems, namely WebMoney, Yandex.Money, QIWI Wallet and Wallet One. The reason for the decision, which may positively influence cryptocurrency markets, is said to be the lack of the regulator’s approval for service rendition.

Dmytro Golubov, Ukraine’s Member of Parliament (Verkhovna Rada) and leader of the Internet Party, has revealed he owns about $3 mln in Bitcoins.

In his recent e-declaration Ukrainian member of parliament Alexei Mushak revealed possession of 465 BTC (around $310,000) of savings among other things.

Recent statements from the National Bank of Ukraine signify the regulator’s intent to use blockchain technology in their Cashless Economy project.

Each day, blockchain, the technology that underlies Bitcoin, penetrates the world of finances deeper and deeper with many signs pointing to it eventually winning a big part of the market. Ukraine is no exception in this regard. Moreover, the largest country in Europe  has every reason to consider itself one of blockchain’s trend-makers.

Ukraine’s blockchain community is active these days: the country hosts several major conferences on the subject; several high-flying blockchain projects kick off; a full-fledged university course on dApp development is now underway. Adding to that, local authorities are mostly positive about cryptotechnologies.

ForkLog attended Blockchain & Bitcoin Conference held September 23 in Ukraine’s capital of Kyiv. This year, the conference has featured three sections: one for newbies, one for pros, and one for developers.