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A senior Russian official has thrown his support behind a state-backed cryptocurrency.

In an interview with Russian broadcaster RBC, First Deputy Prime Minister Igor Shuvalov said that he is in favor of a "crypto-ruble" provided that certain measures are put in place on the security front.

"This theme will develop," he said in translated statements. "But it should develop in such a way that the national economy cannot be put under attack, but rather make it stronger."

Shuvalov isn't the first Russian official to opine on the subject of a blockchain-based ruble. Indeed, the deputy chief of the Bank of Russia remarked in February that the implementation of a national cryptocurrency was "only a question of time." Skorobogatova stated that, after extendeddiscussions withinthe centralbank they were finally ready to move forward with initiative.

The Russian government is exploring blockchain on multiple fronts, including work by health officials to test possible methods that utilizethe tech for exchanging patient information. And earlier this summer, President Vladimir Putin briefly met with ethereum creator Vitalik Buterin.

During the RBC interview, Shuvalov confirmed that the government is considering investing in cryptocurrency mining resources, a disclosure that comes after word emerged that an advisor to Russian President Vladimir Putin is putting together a bitcoin mine of his own.

The idea that Russia would potentially fund construction of cryptocurrency mining facilities is in itself notable, given that at one point, lawmakers in the countryonce debated harsh measures including prison terms to deter the creation and spread of so-called "money surrogates".

Still, movement on this front is in the earliest stages, accordingto Shuvalov.

"But while this is a discussion, there are no concrete projects yet. In order to develop such centers, it is necessary to prepare appropriate legislation and its regulation," he told the broadcaster.

Image Credit:ID1974/Shutterstock.com

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Russian Deputy PM Says He Supports a State-Backed Cryptocurrency - CoinDesk

Ben Bernanke, former chairman of the Federal Reserve, will be the keynote speaker at a blockchain and banking conference in October hosted by Ripple, the startup behind the fourth largest digital currency.

The three-day event, called Swell, starts Oct. 16 in Toronto, Ripple said in a statement on its website. Bernanke, who has criticized cryptocurrencies in the past, will be interviewed by Gene Sperling, the former national economic adviser under Presidents Bill Clinton and Barack Obama.

Bernanke wrote that virtual currencies could have long-term promise in a 2013 letter to Congress. However, in a 2015 interview with Quartz, he said bitcoin has some serious problems, including its anonymity and lack of stability. Bernanke was not immediately available to comment.

Since the former Fed chairmans remarks, the largest cryptocurrency has skyrocketed in value, fueling excitement among enthusiasts but skepticism among critics worried that the digital coin is in a bubble.

Related: Ripple Is Seeing More Volume in Fiat Currencies, Less in Bitcoin

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Bernanke to Give Keynote Speech at October Cryptocurrency Event - Bloomberg

The startup ecosystem, especially those related to cryptocurrency and blockchain technology have found ICOs and token sales to be the easiest and the most efficient form of fundraising methods. In the past few months alone, the world has witnessed some of the highest grossing ICOs which raised over a hundred million dollars equivalent in cryptocurrency.

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Aimwise, a blockchain project has taken into account all the issues surrounding the ICOs and the cryptocurrency ecosystem to come up with a solution. The Aimwise platform, which by itself is based on blockchain protocol aims to create a fair and transparent system that benefits everyone involved in crypto-projects, irrespective of whether they are the creators or funders.

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Altogether, Aimwise is attempting to standardize the project fundraising and token sale process in the entire cryptocurrency ecosystem. In order to come up with a complete product, the Aimwise team will soon launch its own ICO. The platform will implement most of the best practices during the crowdsale and utilize the funds raised for further development, marketing, and operations involved in making it successful.

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Aimwise to Create Standards for Cryptocurrency Crowdsales - newsBTC