Anatoly Aksakov, Chairman of the Financial Markets Committee of the Russian State Duma, has reiterated that payments within Russia must be conducted in rubles, dismissing the possibility of cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin and Ethereum becoming legal tender. Aksakov emphasized that these digital assets can only be used as investment tools. The legislative body supports the central bank's stance against the use of cryptocurrencies for payments by individuals and businesses. Russia has maintained a ban on using cryptocurrencies as a payment method since 2020.