Prospects for the use of crypto-currencies for international trade settlement

Purpose: Consider legal possibilities of using cryptocurrency as a potential means of international trade settlements, including allowing individual States to overcome restrictions imposed by international sanctions. Methodology: The research methodology is based on a system-structural approach using methods of analysis and synthesis, generalization, comparison and analogy. Results: Payments in cryptocurrencies become an objectively existing reality of the modern economy, despite the fact that they are actually deprived of any legal status. Existing legal theories of international trade settlements do not allow for their implementation in cryptocurrency, but the development of the digital economy involves the transformation of not only the banking system as a whole, but also individual legal institutions, which allows predicting the legal recognition of payments in cryptocurrency in cross-border transactions after the legal status of cryptocurrencies has been consolidated at the international and national levels. Novelty/originality/value: The legal status of cryptocurrency is considered by the author from the position of its possible application in international trade settlements.