A remarkable bill on cryptocurrencies has been submitted to parliament in Ukraine. Recorded on June 10, the new bill aims to authorize the country's central bank to include Bitcoin and other crypto assets in its national reserves. The bill, drafted by a group of lawmakers led by Yaroslav Zheleznyak, a deputy from the Holos party, is eagerly awaited in the cryptocurrency space.
With the new bill, the Central Bank of Ukraine will be able to hold cryptocurrencies
The draft law proposes amendments to the law “On the National Bank of Ukraine”. It would give the central bank the option to hold virtual, i.e. crypto-assets in its reserves in addition to gold and foreign currencies. However, this is not a mandatory practice. The bill only gives the NBU this authority. When, how and in what form, and how much crypto-assets to hold in reserves is left entirely to the bank's discretion.
Zheleznyak said, “With this bill, we authorize the National Bank to include virtual assets in the country's reserves. However, decisions such as timing, method and volume will be entirely at the discretion of the central bank.”
According to Zheleznyak, a well-managed crypto reserve system can strengthen the country's macroeconomic stability and promote the development of the digital economy. “Proper management of crypto reserves strengthens macroeconomic stability and creates new opportunities for the digital economy,” he said in a post on Telegram.
In a video call with Kirill Khomyakov, Binance's Regional Director for Central and Eastern Europe, Zheleznyak noted the global interest in the use of crypto assets in reserves. He noted that countries such as the US, El Salvador, Switzerland and Brazil have begun to consider crypto as a strategic reserve asset.
The draft law has now been submitted to the Ukrainian parliament, the Verkhovna Rada, and is under consideration. If adopted, Ukraine will be one of the few countries to officially consider cryptoassets as a monetary policy instrument.
Full legal ground in 2025
In addition to the central bank's potential Bitcoin reserve step, Ukrainian lawmakers are also working on a more comprehensive bill that aims to fully legalize the use of crypto by mid-2025. This second bill, which is expected to be submitted to parliament after the new year, was drafted in cooperation with the Central Bank and the International Monetary Fund (IMF). The new legal regulation envisages the regulation of crypto assets in a security-like structure. Accordingly, earnings from cryptos will be taxed only when converted into fiat currencies; no tax exemption will be granted for daily digital asset transactions.
Danylo Hetmantsev, Chairman of the Ukrainian Committee on Finance, Tax and Customs Policy, announced that the core of the draft law has been finalized and is expected to be passed by the parliament in the first quarter of 2025. There is also the possibility that Ukraine could become the first country in Europe to recognize Bitcoin as an official state reserve asset. Zheleznyak confirmed that the bill to create a state-backed strategic Bitcoin reserve is in the final stages and will be presented soon.
