Here’s the latest on Russia’s softened stance on crypto with new retail trading rules — a significant policy shift that’s making headlines today:
yellow.com
CoinDesk
Russia’s Central Bank Softens Crypto Stance With New Retail Trading Rules | Yellow.com
Russia opens crypto market to public with new rules set for 2026 implementation
Yesterday
🇷🇺 What’s Happening
Russia’s central bank has proposed a new regulatory framework that would for the first time allow ordinary (retail) investors to legally trade selected cryptocurrencies — a major departure from its historically restrictive approach. �
Cointelegraph +1
Key elements of the proposal:
🧑💼 Non‑qualified (retail) investors would be allowed to buy a defined set of highly liquid cryptocurrencies (e.g., Bitcoin, etc.), but only after passing a mandatory knowledge/risks test. �
HTX
💰 Annual caps on retail purchases are set at 300,000 rubles (~$3,800) per person. �
Cointelegraph
📈 Qualified/professional investors would have broader access with no cap, though privacy‑focused coins remain excluded. �
TodayOnChain.com
🇷🇺 Any crypto must be traded through licensed intermediaries (exchanges, brokers, custodians). �
yellow.com
🌍 Russians would also be allowed to buy crypto on foreign platforms, provided transactions are reported to tax authorities. �
HTX
📉 Despite the shift, crypto cannot be used for domestic payments, and the central bank still considers it a high‑risk asset. �
TodayOnChain.com
📅 The government is aiming to finalize the regulated framework by July 1, 2026, with enforcement and penalties expanding in 2027. �
AInvest
🧠 Why This Matters
This softening marks a pivot from Russia’s earlier hostility toward crypto — including calls to ban digital assets entirely just before the Ukraine war began. �
MEXC
It’s driven partly by practical pressures: sanctions and banking restrictions have made digital assets more attractive for cross‑border activity, prompting regulators to bring such trading into a regulated arena. �
MEXC
The tiered system represents a balance between consumer protection and market opening — giving everyday investors some access while trying to limit systemic risks.
📌 Bottom Line
Russia hasn’t fully embraced crypto as a mainstream financial tool, but this proposal signals a notable shift from suppression toward controlled incorporation — especially for retail trading. Full rules and implementation details are still being hammered out, but the move is widely seen as an effort to regulate and monitor an existing, growing market rather than ignore or ban it. �
HTX
If you want a timeline of how this reform is expected to roll out in 2026, just let me know
