Russia is preparing to launch a comprehensive regulatory framework for cryptocurrencies this July, marking a significant shift toward legalizing retail participation in the local digital asset market.
Anatoly Aksakov, head of the State Duma Committee on the Financial Market, recently informed the Parliamentary Gazette that the upcoming set of rules will be finalized for a vote by the end of June. While the legislation is expected to be approved shortly thereafter, the framework will not take full effect until one year later, meaning both qualified and non-qualified investors will officially be permitted to trade crypto assets starting July 1, 2027.
The new rules establish a tiered system for investors, with state news agency TASS reporting that non-qualified traders will have limited access to the retail market. Under this framework, amateur investors will be restricted to purchasing only the “most liquid” cryptocurrencies, with an annual purchase cap of 300,000 rubles (approximately $3,900).
Professional or “qualified” traders, however, will be allowed to purchase a wider variety of assets in unlimited amounts. The only major exception for professionals will be privacy tokens, such as Monero and Zcash, which are designed to keep transaction participants anonymous and will remain restricted under the new law.
To help define these boundaries, the Central Bank is expected to compile a “white list” of approved cryptocurrencies for the general public. Legal experts anticipate this list will feature the top-5 or top-10 most traded assets globally, certainly including Bitcoin and Ethereum, and potentially adding popular tokens like Solana or Toncoin.
Additionally, the framework will permit Russian citizens to purchase cryptocurrency on foreign exchanges using offshore accounts, provided the assets are transferred back to domestic platforms and all transactions are properly reported to tax authorities for transparency.
Beyond simple trading, the legislation seeks to provide clarity on the creation, mining, and distribution of digital assets while strictly reaffirming the existing ban on using cryptocurrency for domestic payments.
Lawmakers are also planning to introduce specific administrative and criminal liabilities for entities that operate in the market without the proper legal standing.
While existing licensed brokers and exchanges can continue their work, storage providers and platforms currently operating in a legal “gray area” will be required to obtain new, specialized licenses to comply with the updated standards.
