Russia’s BRICS Sherpa Sergey Ryabkov told the PIR Center on Tuesday that the bloc has moved into a “second stage” of expansion, though he stopped short of giving a timetable or naming potential new members. Instead, Ryabkov suggested that future growth could come not only through full membership but also via a formal “partner” category — a route BRICS has already begun using. Ryabkov framed Russia’s 2023 chairmanship as a decisive moment, saying expansion under Moscow’s watch was handled smoothly and that each founding member played an active role in onboarding newcomers. He pointed to Indonesia’s accession in January 2025 as an example of fast, effective integration: “It has promptly embarked on cooperation in all areas and is making a valuable and effective contribution,” he said, adding that the integration of recent entrants has effectively been completed based on their results. With Indonesia’s addition, BRICS is now a 10-member bloc. Ryabkov argued the expanded grouping is stronger and more financially sustainable, with tangible outcomes reflected in the long leader-level declarations adopted in Kazan (2024) and Rio de Janeiro (2025). He characterized those documents as evidence of what the bloc has achieved and what it plans next. Why this matters to crypto markets: larger BRICS membership and a formal partner tier could accelerate efforts to diversify trade and payment mechanisms beyond traditional Western-dominated systems. That shift increases the relevance of alternative settlement rails, central bank digital currencies (CBDCs), and cross-border digital-asset use cases — all developments crypto investors and infrastructure providers will watch closely as the bloc’s makeup and policy priorities evolve. Read more AI-generated news on: undefined/news

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