Russia is taking another step toward opening its cryptocurrency market to retail participants, as lawmakers prepare legislation that would allow non-qualified investors limited access to digital assets.
Key Takeaways:
Russia is preparing legislation to let non-qualified investors access crypto, while capping retail purchases at 300,000 rubles. The draft bill would remove crypto from special regulation, signaling a push to make digital assets part of everyday finance. Authorities aim to expand crypto use in cross-border settlements while keeping strict limits to manage financial risks.According to a Tuesday report from state news agency TASS, Anatoly Aksakov, chairman of the State Duma’s Financial Markets Committee, said a draft bill has already been finalized and is expected to be considered during the spring parliamentary session.
The proposal would remove cryptocurrencies from a special regulatory regime, effectively treating them as a more conventional financial instrument.
Russia Lawmaker Says Crypto Set to Enter Everyday Use Under New Bill
“A bill has already been prepared that removes cryptocurrencies from special financial regulation, meaning they will become commonplace in our lives,” Aksakov said in an interview with the Russia-24 television channel, as cited by TASS.
Under the proposed framework, access for non-qualified investors would remain capped.
Individuals who do not meet Russia’s qualified-investor requirements would be allowed to buy cryptocurrencies worth up to 300,000 rubles, or roughly $3,800.
Aksakov said professional market participants would not be subject to similar restrictions.
Beyond domestic trading, the law is also expected to support the use of crypto in cross-border activity.
Aksakov said the changes could facilitate international settlements and enable the overseas placement of tokens issued by Russian entities, an area of growing interest as the country seeks alternatives to traditional financial rails.
The comments follow earlier signals from Russian authorities pointing to a more permissive, but closely monitored, approach to retail crypto use.
In December, the Bank of Russia proposed allowing non-qualified investors to trade digital assets after passing a risk-awareness test, while maintaining a ban on anonymous and privacy-focused cryptocurrencies.
Around the same time, Finance Minister Anton Siluanov said the finance ministry and the central bank were working toward a coordinated framework that would permit retail participation within defined limits.
Officials have repeatedly emphasized that transaction caps and investment thresholds would be critical to containing financial and systemic risks as crypto adoption expands.
Crypto Questions Flood Russia’s Social Fund
As reported, Russia’s Social Fund received about 37 million calls in 2025, with crypto-related questions emerging as one of the most common topics alongside standard social benefit inquiries.
Citizens frequently asked whether pensions could be paid in digital assets and whether income from crypto mining would count toward benefit calculations, prompting officials to reiterate that all state payments are made exclusively in rubles and that crypto taxation falls under the Federal Tax Service.
The attention comes as crypto mining gains political and economic relevance. Senior officials have argued that mining should be recognized as an export activity, noting its impact on foreign exchange flows despite the lack of physical cross-border movement.
Late last month, Moscow Exchange and St. Petersburg Exchange confirmed readiness to launch crypto trading once Russia’s legislative framework takes effect by July 1, 2026, following the Bank of Russia’s December 23 regulatory concept release.
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