Cryptocurrency regulation in Russia is entering a new stage: the State Duma has passed a law in the second and third readings that sets the rules for handling digital coins and gives investors access to transactions through licensed intermediaries.
Who Will Be Able To Buy Cryptocurrency
The conditions depend on the investor’s status:
- Qualified investors: any cryptocurrencies after testing, with no annual limit on the amount.
- Non-qualified investors: only the most liquid virtual assets after testing, with a limit of up to 300,000 rubles per year through one intermediary.
This division also affects the investment approach: experienced participants get a wide range of tools, while beginners work only with the most liquid assets and within a protective limit.
The Central Bank reported that transactions with virtual coins can be carried out through brokers, managers, and other authorized platforms, including organized trading. The Bank of Russia also points to the emergence of crypto exchanges and digital depositories.
What Infrastructure Players Will Enter the Market
For businesses that want to work with cryptocurrency, the key will be the status of an authorized market participant. The new infrastructure distributes roles as follows:
- Crypto exchanges: buying and selling cryptocurrency.
- Digital depositories: accounting for rights to digital assets.
- Formal rules and areas of responsibility instead of gray practices.
Investors will be allowed to exchange cryptocurrency for securities and digital instruments issued under Russian law. At the same time, securities and currency retain a separate legal status: the law specifically describes operations with virtual coins and related digital assets.
Cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin, as well as other liquid digital coins, will be able to circulate through intermediaries within established requirements. At the same time, foreign stablecoins will be regulated under the same rules as cryptocurrencies.
What Is Allowed and What Remains Prohibited
The new rules legalize investment operations with cryptocurrency: purchase, sale, exchange, and accounting for rights through licensed intermediaries. You can own virtual coins and conduct transactions with them within the established requirements. The sale of cryptocurrency and withdrawal of funds from such operations must also go through authorized intermediaries. The main restriction remains: paying for goods and services within Russia with virtual coins will still not be allowed.
For major financial market participants, including the Moscow Exchange, Sberbank of Russia, and other professional intermediaries, the new rules may become the basis for working with digital assets in a regulated environment. The external background, including sanctions due to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and restrictions from the European Union, does not eliminate the need to establish internal rules for such operations.
The law has two formal steps left: approval by the Federation Council and a signature from Vladimir Putin. If this happens, the document will come into force on September 1, 2026. The transition period will last until July 1, 2027: during this time, market participants will need to obtain licenses and bring their activities in line with the new requirements.
Новости о биткоин, блокчейне и криптовалютах
Автор: Сoinspot