Russia Moves to Bring Crypto into Everyday Use with New Law

Highlights:

• Russia has revealed new plans to integrate cryptocurrency into citizens’ daily lives with a new bill.
• The new bill aims to remove cryptocurrencies from special rules, limiting their use.
• Professional and ordinary investors will be allowed to participate in the crypto market under different rules.

Russia is preparing to integrate cryptocurrency into the daily life of its citizens. Anatoly Aksakov, Chairman of the Financial Markets Committee in the State Duma, confirmed that a new bill has already been drafted to remove cryptocurrencies from special financial control rules. Akssakov also noted that lawmakers will spend most of the upcoming spring session working on laws related to digital financial assets and cryptocurrencies. He explained that the move aims to increase cryptocurrency adoption by making the asset class more familiar among Russians and reducing restrictions on its use. 

The Chairman stated:

Details of the New Bill that Aims to Bring Crypto into Daily Use

Under the proposed bill, ordinary investors will be allowed to participate in the crypto market. However, there will be a limit on the amount of cryptocurrencies that they will be allowed to purchase. The new bill stipulates that they can only buy 300,000 rubles worth of cryptocurrencies. This limit aims to reduce financial risk for citizens with little or no professional market experience.  

On the other hand, professional investors will not face similar purchase limits, as they are free to participate in cryptocurrency investments without any purchase cap. Aksakov also noted that cryptocurrencies could play significant roles in cross-border payments. He said Russia could issue digital currencies domestically and trade them on foreign markets for smoother international payments. 

The new bill comes a few weeks after Crypto2Community reported that the nation’s Ministry of Justice introduced a bill proposing a five-year prison sentence for illegal crypto miners. The Ministry of Justice’s bill amends Article 171.6 of Russia’s Criminal Code. It outlines tough penalties for unregistered mining activities, with fines up to 1.5 million rubles or two years of forced labour.

Russia Continues to Modify Rules to Support Crypto Adoption and Safety

Separately, Russia’s central bank recently shared plans to make cryptocurrency accessible to more people in a controlled manner. According to a concept paper from the central bank, separate rules will guide the participation of regular and professional investors in the crypto market. The proposal allows both categories of investors to own digital assets. However, there will be disparities in spending limits, basic tests, and other conditions.

Meanwhile, in related news, Russia’s largest bank, Sberbank, disclosed plans to start offering investors loans backed by cryptocurrencies. The bank could roll out the loan offer around mid-2026. This will expand the banking firm’s crypto-related operations from basic trading to broader financial services. 

Anatoly Popov, Sberbank Deputy Chairman, noted that the bank will work closely with regulators to develop the infrastructure for such services. He expressed optimism that Sberbank will soon announce the launch of the loan facility. However, progress will depend strongly on regulatory clarity.  

The Deputy Chairman added: