Belarusian govt permits companies to use tokens for foreign trade settlements

MINSK. June 9 (Interfax) - Belarusian Prime Minister Alexander Turchin has signed a decree establishing cases in which legal entities may use digital tokens in foreign trade settlements conducted via cryptocurrency banks, the Belarusian government's press service reported on Tuesday.

"This right is granted to legal entities engaged in foreign trade (the export and import of goods, services and jobs and intellectual property) and, in certain cases, foreign currency exchange and leasing operations," the press release reads.

It says that the decree is aimed at implementing mechanisms stipulated by a decree signed by the Belarusian president in January 2026 on the regulation of cryptocurrencies and monitoring in the field of digital tokens, providing additional opportunities for conducting import-export transactions.

In September 2025, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko backed an initiative from the National Bank of Belarus (NBB) to establish cryptocurrency banks in the country, saying that it was essential to expand the scope for using cryptocurrencies.

In April, NBB head Roman Golovchenko said that several major foreign financial structures had expressed interest in establishing cryptocurrency banks in Belarus and their applications could be approved by summer this year.