Belarus President Urges Banks to Adopt Crypto Amid Western Sanctions

Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko has called on domestic banks to accelerate cryptocurrency adoption, framing digital assets as a strategic response to economic sanctions. The directive comes as Western nations—including the EU, US, and UK—continue tightening financial restrictions on Belarus.

Lukashenko emphasized cryptocurrencies' potential to facilitate cross-border transactions and stabilize the sanction-hit economy during a meeting with central and commercial bank leaders. "They waited for us to fall to our knees. But today we can say: we are not bankrupt," he declared, signaling a pivot toward decentralized finance mechanisms.

This move aligns with a growing trend among sanctioned nations leveraging crypto to bypass traditional banking channels. No specific coins were mentioned, but the announcement could indirectly buoy sentiment across major assets like BTC and ETH as geopolitical adoption narratives gain traction.