Russia to allow retail trading only in BTC, ETH and USDT by July 1, 2026
The Central Bank of Russia said non-qualified investors will face a 300,000-ruble annual cap, while broader token access may later favor domestic non-dollar stablecoins.
Russia plans to limit regulated cryptocurrency trading for ordinary citizens to Bitcoin, Ethereum and USDT once its new law “On Digital Currency and Digital Rights” takes effect by July 1, 2026. Vladimir Chistyukhin, First Deputy Chairman of the Central Bank of Russia, said the authorities do not intend to broaden the initial list or raise investment caps for non-qualified investors, who will be limited to purchases of up to 300,000 rubles a year, or about $4,000. The draft framework sets strict admission standards for tokens, including average market capitalization above 5 trillion rubles over the past two years, average daily trading volume above 1 trillion rubles over the same period, and at least five years of trading history. Chistyukhin said any future expansion would likely focus on domestic non-dollar stablecoins so they are “not discriminated against foreign ones,” while reiterating the Bank of Russia’s view that crypto remains volatile and carries risks, including the possibility of funds being blocked, as seen when Tether froze $27 million of USDT during the March 2025 U.S.-led shutdown of Garantex’s successor ecosystem.
- stablecoin: A token designed to track a reference asset, often a fiat currency.
- non-qualified investors: Retail investors subject to tighter market access and investment limits.
- market capitalization: The total value of a token’s circulating supply at current prices.