Russia’s Central Bank plots 2026 shift to mass-market crypto access as the EU sanctions keep tightening.
The Bank of Russia published a new regulatory concept that would let both qualified and non-qualified investors buy cryptocurrencies and stablecoins as “currency values.” In the meantime, it is still keeping a ban on using them for domestic payments, according to the official information.
How Russians Will Get Access to Crypto?
The concept, sent to the government and dated December 23, frames digital currencies and stablecoins as monetary assets that Russians can buy and sell through licensed intermediaries but cannot spend within the country.
Under the plan, non-qualified investors gain legal access for the first time, with restrictions in place:
- They can only buy a defined list of the most liquid cryptocurrencies.
- The purchase is available only from licensed intermediaries.
- The annual cap is limited to 300,000 rubles (about $3,800) per intermediary.
Qualified investors keep far more room. They can buy any cryptocurrency except anonymous or privacy-focused tokens whose smart contracts hide transfer data, with no volume cap, provided they pass risk tests demonstrating risk awareness.
Russia Aims for Crypto Infrastructure
The central bank wants crypto activity routed through existing financial infrastructure. Licensed exchanges, brokers, and trust managers would handle client flows under their current licenses. At the same time, special requirements would apply to crypto depositaries and exchange operators that hold and settle digital assets.
On cross-border flows, the concept explicitly allows Russian residents to buy crypto on foreign exchanges using foreign bank accounts. They can also transfer previously purchased crypto abroad through Russian intermediaries, provided they notify the tax service of such operations. No details on crypto sanctions that prevent major exchanges from working with Russians were explicitly mentioned.
The document sets a clear timetable. The Bank of Russia expects lawmakers to prepare the legislative base by July 1, 2026. Criminal or administrative liability for unlicensed crypto intermediation in Russia would take effect on July 1, 2027, by analogy with penalties for illegal banking activity.
This blueprint follows a year of gradual liberalization at the top end of the market. In March 2025, the central bank proposed an experimental regime that restricted crypto investing to “specially qualified” individuals with over 100 million rubles in securities and deposits or at least 50 million rubles of annual income.
The new concept keeps that elite tier, but adds a mass-market retail lane under tight caps and surveillance. It also reaffirms the political red line. State Duma financial markets committee chair Anatoly Aksakov stated on December 15 that cryptocurrencies would “never become money” in Russia and can only function as investment instruments.
The move fits a wider sanctions backdrop. Russia already uses Bitcoin and other digital assets in foreign trade. It has legalized mining under special rules, while policymakers now openly discuss domestic stablecoin instruments to reduce dependence on USDT and Western stablecoin issuers following sanctions-linked freezes.
BTC $87 022 24h volatility: 0.6% Market cap: $1.74 T Vol. 24h: $35.52 B last traded around $96,200, up roughly 2% over 24 hours. ETH $2 927 24h volatility: 1.4% Market cap: $353.31 B Vol. 24h: $20.43 B changed hands near $3,260, up about 1%. The concept does not name specific tokens, but the structure clearly favors high-liquidity, large-cap assets for both retail and professional flows. next