russiacrypto

In a recent development, the Russian government has introduced a bill before its lower legislative house to criminalize the operation of unregistered crypto services in the country.
Unlicensed Crypto Operators To Face Up To Four Years In Prison
In a bill proposal to the lower house of the Federal Assembly of Russia, the State Duma, Russian lawmakers proposed criminal liability for entities engaging in activities related to the organization and circulation of cryptocurrencies and other digital assets without regulatory approval from the country’s central bank.
The draft law’s explanatory note read:
In accordance with the proposed Article 1717, it is proposed to introduce criminal liability for carrying out activities related to the organization of digital currency circulation without registration 0037822-UCH-2026 (7.1) or without a special permit (license) in cases where such a permit (license) is mandatory.
According to this proposed bill, individuals could incur as high as $4,000 in fines and get a prison sentence of up to four years (or more severe penalties if part of an organized group) for running an unlicensed digital asset operation. “The same act committed by an organized group, or involving the infliction of damage or the extraction of income on a particularly large scale, would be punishable by compulsory labor for up to five years or imprisonment for up to seven years,” the draft proposal said.
If signed into law, the ensuing criminal cases will be investigated by investigators from the Investigative Committee and the Federal Security Service (FSB). It is worth noting that the Supreme Court (SC) did not accept the bill in its current form, stating the lack of a “reasoned justification” in the explanatory note for criminal penalties for illegal crypto circulation.
Russia Continues Crypto Legislation Regime In 2026 
This proposed legislation comes after a host of bills were presented in March, including criminal penalties for entities involved in illegal crypto mining and mining infrastructure operators. Notably, the Russian government approved signed new legislations, allowing retail access only through regulated intermediaries.
While these new Russian laws (passed and proposed) seems to put the matter of regulatory clarity to bed, their seemingly stringent approach has been called into question in the crypto crowd over the past few months.$BTC
#russia #Russian #RussiaCrypto

🔔 MARKET MOVING NEWS! (13/03/25)

1️⃣ OKX Europe Acquires MiFID II-Licensed Company in Malta ⚡️

Crypto exchange OKX’s European arm has reportedly acquired a Markets in Financial Instruments Directive (MiFID II) license - a key European Union license that will allow the company to offer derivatives products throughout the region. The license was secured by acquiring an unnamed Malta-licensed firm with a MiFID II license. The entity is expected to become operational later this year, once the exchange gets approval from the Malta Financial Services Authority (MFSA).

2️⃣ Video Platform Rumble Discloses $17 Million In Bitcoin Treasury Holdings 💸

According to a recent announcement, Nasdaq-listed video-sharing platform Rumble purchased 188 BTC at an average price of $91,000 per coin, i.e., it invested roughly $17.1 million in BTC. The move is part of Rumble’s previously disclosed plan to adopt a bitcoin treasury strategy and allocate up to $20 million of its cash reserves to bitcoin. Rumble’s CEO Chris Pavlovski views this move as part of a strategic expansion into crypto and a hedge against inflation.

Pavlovski states,

These holdings have the potential to serve as a valuable hedge against inflation and will not be subject to dilution like so many overprinted government-issued currencies. [We] are proud to officially hold Bitcoin as we continue to grow and engrain crypto into our company’s DNA.

3️⃣ Bank Of Russia Proposes To Allow Crypto Purchases By Select Investors 👀
#RussiaCrypto
Russia’s central bank has unveiled a new proposal that seeks to allow a “limited circle of Russian investors” to buy and sell cryptocurrencies during a three-year testing period. Specifically, the proposal would allow “‘particularly qualified’ investors,” those with investments in stocks and deposits exceeding 100 million rubles (about $11.5 million) or with income in the past year of more than 50 million rubles (approximately $5.7 million), to invest in crypto. The central bank also proposed to allow qualified companies to become participants in the experiment.

The bank stated,

The introduction of the EPR is aimed at increasing the transparency of the cryptocurrency market, forming standards for the provision of services, expanding investment opportunities for experienced investors who are ready to take on increased risks.

4️⃣ Garantex Administrator Arrested In India At Request Of US Authorities 🔒
#GarantexArrest #USGovernment
According to a TechCrunch report, law enforcement authorities in India have arrested Aleksej Besciokov - one of the two alleged operators of Garantex, a Russian cryptocurrency exchange sanctioned by the European Union and the U.S. government. The arrest was reportedly made in the coastal municipality of Varkala, where Besciokov was vacationing with his family.

According an official statement released by the Indian government, Besciokov’s arrest was made at the request of the U.S. government, who claimed Besciokov was planning to flee India. The arrest was based on US charges of conspiracy to commit money laundering, conspiracy to operate an unlicensed money-transmitting business and conspiracy to violate the International Emergency Economic Powers Act.

5️⃣ Binance Secures $2 Billion Investment From Abu Dhabi Firm MGX 💰#MGXBinanceInvestment
#
Crypto exchange Binance has reportedly secured a $2 billion investment from MGX, an Abu Dhabi-based sovereign wealth fund that invests in AI and tech. Notably, the investment marks the first institutional placement in the exchange and the first digital asset-focused investment for MGX. According to Binance, the transaction was fully paid in stablecoins and represents the largest single investment in a crypto firm to date.

MGX CEO and Managing Director Ahmed Yahia stated,

A Russian citizen from Yakutsk has been sentenced to seven years in prison for providing financial support to the Ukrainian armed forces through cryptocurrencies. This is the first time a Russian court has issued a public verdict regarding the use of cryptocurrencies to finance a military organization that Russia considers hostile.
Financial support is classified as treason.