Banking technologies

Russian owner of one of the world’s top digital banks says Kremlin forced sale of his stake

UK-sanctioned Russian businessman Oleg Tinkov said the Kremlin forced him to sell his stake in a major bank he had founded after he criticized the Ukraine war. Tinkoff Bank, one of Russia’s most impressive success stories in the tech field, has over 20 million customers — making it one of the world’s biggest digital banks. It is …

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Russia weighs pros and cons of using crypto to evade Western sanctions

As Western powers began cutting off its access to the SWIFT interbank payment system, Russia could turn to cryptocurrency to bypass sanctions. This Monday Sergey Glazyev, a former Russian minister and advisor to President Putin, made this suggestion in an interview to Russian TV channel RBC.  Cryptocurrencies can become an alternative for settlements with Western countries, allowing Russia to continue …

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White House: US unlikely to kick Russia off SWIFT

The US said Friday it will “probably not” try to kick Russia out of the SWIFT financial messaging system should Moscow invade Ukraine. Washington has threatened to levy “severe” sanctions on Moscow in the event it attacks Ukraine, promising a package of measures that could “devastate” the Russian economy. “All options remain on the table. …

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Tinkoff introduces Russia’s first digital mortgage loans

Tinkoff’s mortgage loan offering is the first of its kind in Russia: the process will take place entirely online, from paperwork to credit issuance. Since Tinkoff has always been branchless, customers will not need to visit a brick-and-mortar location at any stage of the transaction, including when applying for electronic signatures.  First, Tinkoff customers will be …

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Finance vs. tanks: Why SWIFT might be the weapon Russia fears most

Some are calling it the “nuclear option.” As Western governments threaten Russia with a package of unprecedented sanctions aimed at deterring President Vladimir Putin from ordering an invasion of Ukraine, there’s one measure in particular that appears to strike fear at the heart of the Kremlin: cutting the country off from the global banking system.  US lawmakers have suggested …

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Russian banks begin testing digital ruble payments

While advocating a ban on crypto exchange, investment and mining in the country, Russia’s central bank has plans to launch its own digital currency. Having completed the prototype of the digital ruble platform in December, the monetary authority is now beginning to experiment with transactions. A dozen banks have been invited to join the first stage of …

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Russia’s e-commerce leader Wildberries bought a bank to launch virtual debit card and instant refund

Wildberries has just launched its first financial product — a virtual debit card that allows its customers to make purchases on the marketplace with a 2% discount. The news was reported earlier this week by RB.RU, which cited  the company’s press service.  Only users with a Wildberries account can get the ‘WB Card,’ which is provided at …

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Irene Shvakman, BNPL pioneer in Eastern Europe: “Clear regulation is needed to maintain online consumers’ trust in delayed payment offers”

As Buy Now Pay Later (BNPL) has become a popular way for consumers around the globe to settle their purchases, Russia’s Central Bank is seeking to regulate this activity. In this exchange with East-West Digital News,, industry pioneer Irene Shvakman – who co-founded Revo Technologies, Russia’s first BNPL service, even before today’s Western leaders appeared …

Irene Shvakman, BNPL pioneer in Eastern Europe: “Clear regulation is needed to maintain online consumers’ trust in delayed payment offers” Read More

Preparing to Western sanctions, Belarusian banks sign up to Russia’s alternative to SWIFT

Belarusian banks are preparing for tougher Western sanctions by signing up to Russia’s alternative to SWIFT, the international financial messaging network that underpins the global banking system, Russia’s Moskovsky Komsomolets tabloid has reported. Russia’s System for Transfer of Financial Messages (SPFS) has more than 400 domestic users — practically every licensed Russian lender — but is …

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MTS acquires Russian-founded biometrics provider VisionLabs

Intema, the AI accelerator and venture fund launched by mobile operator MTS this past September, is set to acquire biometrics firm VisionLabs for 7 billion rubles ($95 million at the current exchange rate). Founded in Russia in 2012, this developer of AI-powered computer vision solutions quickly drew the attention of top global digital players. Sber (at that time ‘Sberbank’) invested in the company in …

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Tinkoff named most innovative digital bank in Central and Eastern Europe at World’s Best Digital Bank Awards

Tinkoff has been recognised for its innovative banking solutions as the Most Innovative Digital Bank in Central and Eastern Europe at Global Finance magazine’s 2021 World’s Best Digital Banks awards. In 2020, Tinkoff unveiled its AI Banking strategy that aims to transform its customer offering through personalisation with the help of artificial intelligence across all products …

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