ECONOMY & REGULATION

Criticism aimed at authorities and the new legislation on “digital financial assets” is mounting in Russia. Local officials have rebuked lawmakers in the capital over slow progress, warning that the country will have to catch up with others. Experts from the crypto sector have expressed concerns about many unresolved issues in the proposed legal framework. Russian deputies are preparing to introduce two drafts on cryptocurrencies and crowdfunding, while more than 50 other digital economy bills are pending in parliament.

Hurry Up or Catch Up

“Russian parliamentarians have spent a whole year discussing regulations, never reaching a unified stance on a concept to develop the digital economy. Authorities and entrepreneurs have not been able to formulate a consolidated position on cryptocurrencies”, a local official said during a meeting in the State Duma. “We need to hurry up”, Alexandr Brechalov, head of the Russian republic of Udmurtia, told deputies in the federal assembly. Like many of his colleagues in other Russian regions, Brechalov sees many opportunities for development in the crypto sector. His republic is home to large industrial enterprises, including IZHMASH – the machine-building concern producing AKs, drones and robots for the Russian military. Digitalization would boost other sectors of the local economy and the governor has an idea in that respect. “I heard suggestions about pilot projects. Udmurtia is ready to be the sandbox”, Brechalov said, quoted by RBC. The young politician sharply criticized bigwigs in Moscow for their “excessive caution that once again puts us in the position to catch up”. He thinks the proposed legislation does not provide guidelines for the development of the crypto economy. It also leaves several issues unresolved, including the regulation of crypto exchanges and the taxation of cryptocurrency transactions. The governor thinks ICOs are over-regulated and that may force companies to look for other jurisdictions.

The Use of Crypto Technologies Limited

Some of Brechalov’s comments are echoing concerns expressed recently by several legal experts working in the Russian crypto sector. The lawyers told Bitsmedia that the law prepared by the Finance Ministry needs serious revision – if adopted in its current shape and form, many questions would remain unanswered. The experts admit they cannot figure out what legal rights and obligations market participants have. The criteria to determine if a digital coin is legal is also unclear. Lawmakers have provided guidelines for ICOs but have not defined the status of tokens. Smart-contracts have been treated like ordinary contracts in the new legislation, but no such term exists in the Civil Code.

Ross Ulbricht Denied Post-Conviction Relief Extension

The man convicted of creating the Silk Road marketplace, Ross Ulbricht, has lost yet another appeal to extend his “post-conviction relief.” Judge Katherine Forrest, the judge who sentenced Ulbricht to a double life sentence in 2015, denied the legal team’s attempt to renew the case even if additional circumstantial evidence is found in the future.

The Judge Who Sentenced Ross Ulbricht Throws Down the Hammer Once Again

This month the Judge who handed down two-lifetime prison sentences to Ross Ulbricht denied yet another appeal from within this ongoing court battle. Ulbricht was convicted in February 2015 for creating and running the underground online marketplace the Silk Road from 2011 to 2013. He is currently serving a double life sentence without the chance of parole for money laundering, conspiracy, computer hacking, and narcotics traffic. Over the past few years, Ulbricht’s family members and his legal team have been trying to appeal the sentence with many attempts to re-open the case. The last undertaking took place last year in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit, and the panel of Judges denied the appeal.

Motion Denied

Now, according to court documents obtained by the Ars Technica columnist Cyrus Farivar, three years later Judge Katherine Forrest is throwing her judgment down again towards the convicted Silk Road creator. Ulbricht’s new lawyer, Paul Grant, tried to extend the fixed three year period with a motion called “Rule 33.” This means that when Ulbricht was sentenced three years ago, there would be a period of time that could be extended if circumstantial evidence was found. “The motion to extend time for a Rule 33 motion is DENIED,” Judge Forrest explains in her recent notes. “A Rule 33 motion is not an opportunity to relitigate that which has been litigated, or to engage in a fishing expedition for new evidence.”