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Belarusbank, one of the largest lenders in Belarus, has partnered with OTC broker White Bird to offer a bitcoin buying service, according to an announcement on Monday.
For now, purchases will be available via bank cards issued in Belarus and Russia (the financial systems of the two countries are well connected). But moving forward, the bank is planning to sell cryptocurrency to other neighboring countries, such as Ukraine, Georgia, and Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) nations.
According to spokesman for the Belarusian bank Alexei Kulik, users will be able to withdraw bitcoin from their wallets “without intermediaries.” The service will work using White Bird’s online infrastructure.
Litecoin and ether are expected to be added to the service soon, Kulik told CoinDesk via email.
Belarus officially legalized crypto transactions in 2018. Bitcoin has become a key tool for distributing aid to Belarusians who have lost their jobs during the protests against President Alexander Lukashenko, which have rocked the country since mid-August.
