[REVISION HISTORY]

Russia's crypto law signed, foreign trade & licensing rules

Updated 15 times since CLSTR started tracking revisions of this situation.

What changed

2026-08-31 19:59 UTC → 2026-09-01 13:25 UTC · added ~~removed~~

On 4 August 2026, President Vladimir Putin signed the Digital Currency and Digital Rights Law (Federal Law No. 282-FZ), establishing Russia’s first comprehensive framework for crypto-assets. The law permits the use of cryptocurrencies for foreign-trade contracts and cross-border settlements, though domestic crypto payments remain prohibited. The state also gained the authority to freeze funds linked to unauthorised crypto activities. Key provisions taking effect on 1 September 2026 include a 300,000-rouble annual purchase cap for non-qualified investors, who must also pass a state-administered knowledge test. Qualified investors face no such limits. The Central Bank oversees a licensing regime for exchanges, brokers, asset managers, custodians, and mining firms. These entities must maintain a minimum capital of 15 million roubles and join a self-regulatory organization. Professional market participants have until 1 July 2027 to obtain necessary licenses. On 11 August 2026, the Bank of Russia released a draft regulation to formalize public trading for Bitcoin, Ethereum, and Tether (USDT). ~~To be eligible, assets must meet criteria including high market capitalization and a five-year pricing history; XRP has been excluded from the initial list.~~ On 17 August 2026, ~~the Bank of Russia issued~~ a further draft regulation ~~allowing~~ allowed professional ~~market~~ participants to include cryptocurrency holdings in ~~their~~ capital-adequacy ~~and equity~~ calculations, capped at 25% of total ~~equity value.~~ equity. As the 1 September implementation date ~~approaches,~~ arrives, Sberbank is developing infrastructure for digital wallets and depositories, with plans to expand crypto-backed lending services. The bank intends to accept Bitcoin, Ethereum, and Tether (USDT) as loan collateral once the Bank of Russia formally authorizes their public circulation. Sberbank projects ~~that~~ regulated trading volumes could reach between 3.5 trillion and 4 trillion roubles ~~(approximately $46 billion)~~ in the first ~~year. Sberbank Deputy Chairman Anatoly Popov expects this to represent about 20% of the country's current annual crypto transaction volume, with figures~~ year, potentially growing to 7.5 trillion roubles ~~($87 billion)~~ by 2029.

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