Legal and other risks of using digital currency in international trade

economic sanctions imposed by Western countries are pushing Russian international trade entities to use digital currency as a means of payment, which may have adverse consequences. The purpose of this study is to identify the risks associated with the use of digital currency as a means of payment in international trade by Russian residents and to explore potential solutions. The objectives of the study are to examine the theoretical and practical aspects of using digital currency as a means of payment in international trade. Based on the results of the study, the following conclusions can be drawn: 1) the use of digital currency as a means of payment undermines the financial system of Russia; 2) any type of cryptocurrencies can lose its value at an unexpected moment and cause significant damage to its holder; 3) the digital currency is a monetary unit of transnational crime and the shadow economy, as well as it itself is easy to become the subject of property crimes; 4) there is no adequate interstate legal basis for the investigation of crimes committed using blockchain technologies; 5) an interstate investigation of crimes is not effective, and the cooling of relations with Western countries affects the execution of Russian requests for international legal assistance; 6) attempts to resolve the law of the law by the trade in cryptocurrencies will not be successful, since illegal platforms outside the legal field and control of the financial and law enforcement agencies will still remain. In order not to expose to the specified legal risks of the subjects of international relations, it is necessary to introduce international fiat money based on blockchain technologies as an alternative to digital currencies.

digital currency, cryptocurrency, information technology crime, international investigation, legalization (laundering) of criminal proceeds, economic sanctions, foreign trade, economic warfare