The Central Bank of Russia released a new framework on Tuesday for regulating the country's cryptocurrency market, allowing qualified and unqualified investors to trade cryptocurrencies under different rules.

According to the official statement, the proposal classifies cryptocurrencies and stablecoins as foreign currency assets, which can be bought and sold but cannot be used for payments within Russia.

The Central Bank of Russia stated that unqualified investors must first pass a risk awareness test to trade cryptocurrencies, and they are limited to a selection of the most liquid tokens. Furthermore, the annual investment limit for each investor through the same intermediary must not exceed 300,000 rubles (approximately 3846 USD). On the other hand, qualified investors can trade any cryptocurrency except privacy coins (which are those whose smart contracts obscure transaction details), and while there is no investment amount limit, they must still pass the same test.

The statement indicates that Russian citizens will also be allowed to use overseas bank accounts to purchase cryptocurrencies on foreign exchanges, or to transfer existing crypto assets abroad through Russian intermediaries, but these activities must be reported to the local tax authorities.

The Central Bank of Russia stated that this new regulation has been submitted for government review, with the aim of completing the legislative amendments required for this regulatory framework by July 1, 2026, and penalties will begin to be imposed on unlicensed intermediaries in the cryptocurrency market starting July 2027.

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