The expert spoke about the prospects of foreign payments in the "golden" CFA

Russia has begun testing the use of "golden" digital financial assets (CFAs) in international settlements. These assets are digital tokens backed by gold, the value of which is pegged to the current price of the precious metal. Such an initiative can become a tool to circumvent sanctions, reduce dependence on the dollar and traditional payment systems, Evgeny Shatov, a partner at Capital Lab, told Izvestia on March 4.

"Gold CFAs are backed by physical gold, which is stored in freeports abroad. An investor can demand the purchase of such assets, receive gold or its monetary equivalent and pay for the goods without having to transfer funds through banks," he explained.

According to him, the pilot release of the "golden" CFAs is a test. The buyer of the assets for rubles was the co-organizer of the transaction, and repayment is scheduled for May 2025. This is the first time that CFAs are used specifically for international settlements, although they have previously been issued in Russia as an investment instrument.

"The prospects for the development of international settlements using gold CFAs look promising, but they involve a number of risks and challenges," said Shatov.

The expert highlighted several advantages of gold CFAs. First, they can reduce dependence on the dollar, especially for countries seeking to avoid sanctions. Secondly, the use of blockchain increases the speed and transparency of transactions, as well as reduces the costs of intermediaries. Thirdly, gold, unlike cryptocurrencies, retains its value, which makes such assets less volatile.

"This scheme will only become truly operational if it is scaled. So far, this is a test project, but it opens up new opportunities for international settlements, especially in the face of sanctions and the growing instability of traditional financial systems," concluded Shatov.

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Earlier, on February 17, Shatov told Izvestia about href="https://iz.ru/1840567/2025-02-17/ekspert-rasskazal-o-nizkoriskovykh-finansovykh-instrumentakh"> low-risk financial instruments. In an unstable economic situation and high volatility in financial markets, many investors are looking for ways to save their savings with minimal risk. Low-risk financial instruments are becoming increasingly popular, especially among those who prefer stability and confidence in the safety of capital.