Russia Named “High Income Country” By World Bank, Did Bitcoin Play a Role?

As a researcher with a background in economics and a personal experience of observing Russia’s economic development over the past decade, I find the recent World Bank ranking of Russia as a high-income country intriguing. It is noteworthy that this new status comes after two years of Western sanctions, which many believed would hinder Russia’s growth.


Russia has been classified by the World Bank as among the nations with high income, leading some to ponder if the surge in Bitcoin‘s popularity could have influenced this designation.

Russia’s Economic Metrics Sees Massive Improvement 

Russia’s swift economic advancement was the reason behind its recent upgrade in classification from an “upper middle income” country.

New Development: The World Bank has announced an upgrade for Russia’s economic status, classifying it as a high-income country due to its impressive economic expansion.

After facing two years of economic sanctions from the West, Russia has managed to rank fourth in terms of economic size when measured by purchasing power parity.

— Jacob King (@JacobKinge) July 6, 2024

Following a 11.2% rise in per capita Gross National Income (GNI) last year, the World Bank identified Russia as a strong candidate for promotion to the upper economic bracket. Notably, reports indicate that Russia’s economic expansion was driven by significant growth in military expenditures during 2023. Additionally, there were notable improvements in trade (+6.8%), the financial sector (+8.7%), and construction (+6.6%). As a result, both real (3.6%) and nominal GDP (10.9%) experienced substantial increases.

Over the last two years, the country has encountered significant economic pressures from Western sanctions, among which were those imposed by the United States Treasury Department. Yet, Russia managed to surmount these challenges and rank as the fourth largest economy globally when measured by purchasing power parity.

Following the recent update, Russia has joined forces with countries such as the United States and Western European nations in terms of capabilities and influence. The US and some European countries have been the trailblazers in imposing penalties and sanctions against Russia due to its invasion of Ukraine.

From a different perspective, Ukraine was promoted by the World Bank from a lower middle-income nation to an upper middle-income country.

Russia’s Pivot to Bitcoin Amidst Sanctions 

During the ongoing Western restrictions, it’s noteworthy that Russia has shown increased curiosity towards cryptocurrencies. Recently, at a meeting involving El Salvador and representatives from other nations, Russia shared its views on Bitcoin.

Russia’s Minister of Industry and Trade Denis Manturov expressed that Russia is expected to eventually make cryptocurrencies lawful for transactions. The issue at hand is determining the regulations once this legislation passes, given that the central bank and government are currently engaged in the process.

Russia’s preference for Bitcoin intensified as the BRICS countries (Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa) searched for a currency other than the US Dollar for conducting cross-border transactions. These five core members, along with some recent additions, form part of the BRICS bloc.

As a crypto investor, I’ve been closely monitoring the news regarding the BRICS group. There’s growing buzz that they might start considering Bitcoin as part of their strategy to challenge the dominance of the US dollar. This could be an exciting development for the cryptocurrency community!

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2024-07-06 22:48