Binance exec to lead crypto expert center by Russian bank association

cointelegraph.com:

Amid Binance halting its services in countries like Israel over licensing matters, the world’s largest cryptocurrency exchange by trading volume continues strengthening relations with Russia.

Binance announced Thursday its entry into the Association of Banks of Russia, aiming to facilitate dialogue with local authorities, lawmakers and experts in the cryptocurrency industry.

Founded in 1990, the association includes over 300 banks and financial institutions in Russia, covering nearly 90% of the country’s banking infrastructure.

The association’s council has approved Binance’s membership in the association, launching a dedicated expert center for digital financial assets and digital currencies. The expert center’s mission is to prepare professional reviews on the circulation of digital assets in Russia and provide the association and its representatives with expert data on the topic as well as report on the international experience of handling crypto assets.

Olga Goncharova, Binance's director in Russia and Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), took the lead of the association's expert center, approved by the association's presidium council. Goncharova joined the crypto exchange in January to push compliance efforts in Russia and CIS. Before joining Binance, she worked as a department director at the Bank of Russia.

Introducing Goncharova, Association’s president Georgy Luntovsky noted that she will be responsible for proper monitoring of the circulation of digital currencies in Russia. “In our opinion, she is a good candidate to lead the platform where the expert community could discuss approaches to the regulation and development of digital financial assets,” he noted.

Gleb Kostarev, director at Binance’s Eastern Europe