Russia | Crypto

India is urging other countries to develop CBDCs, and China is expanding the use of its digital yuan, allowing banks to offer interest on e-CNY wallets. Russia’s Ministry of Justice has proposed new fines for unregistered cryptocurrency miners. This comes after the finance minister raised concerns about the rise in unauthorized mining activities. A draft bill proposed by the ministry would impose a fine of 1.5 million rubles (about $19,000) and up to two years in a labor colony. Illegal mining involving “outsized profits” could see a maximum of five years in prison, 480 hours of forced labor and a fine of up to 2.5 million rubles. Unregistered miners are a growing problem in Russia, where only 30% have registered their operations as of June 19, according to Deputy Minister of Finance Ivan Chebeskov. Read more

Russia’s justice ministry proposed fines and prison for illegal crypto mining, as officials say most miners still haven’t joined the tax register. Russia has proposed a new draft bill seeking to crack down on unregistered cryptocurrency miners in the country, following concerns from the finance minister about illegal mining activity. Russia’s Ministry of Justice has proposed imposing penalties of up to 1.5 million rubles (about $19,000) and up to two years of forced labor for illegal cryptocurrency mining, according to new draft amendments to the Criminal Code, published on Monday. For crypto mining activities involving outsized profits, the maximum sentence could reach up to five years in prison, 480 hours of forced labor, and a fine of up to 2.5 million rubles. Read more

Sberbank's Deputy Chairman signals readiness for crypto-collateral lending while Moscow and St. Petersburg exchanges confirm infrastructure preparations as Russia races toward its July 2026 regulatory framework governing the country's $376.3 billion crypto market. The post Russia’s Largest Bank Considers Launching Crypto-Collateral Lending appeared first on Cryptonews.

Russian President Putin said that the US is interested in crypto mining at the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant. The post Russia, US Discuss Bitcoin Mining at Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, Sidelines Ukraine appeared first on Cryptonews.

Moscow Exchange and St. Petersburg Exchange announced preparation for regulated cryptocurrency trading following Russia's legislative deadline of July 2026, with qualified investors gaining unrestricted access while retail traders face annual purchase caps of approximately $3,800. The post Russia’s Top Stock Exchanges Ready to Launch Crypto Trading by 2026 appeared first on Cryptonews.

Bank of Russia outlined a new framework intended to let retail and qualified investors buy crypto under defined tests and caps by 2027.

Russia’s central bank has submitted draft that would allow non-qualified investors to purchase crypto, but only under strict conditions. The Bank of Russia put forward a policy proposal that would allow non-qualified investors to buy certain cryptocurrencies. According to a Tuesday announcement, the central bank’s proposal would allow both qualified and non-qualified investors to buy most crypto, but with limitations. Non-qualified investors would be limited to a yet-to-be-defined set of liquid crypto after passing a knowledge test, capped at 300,000 rubles ($3,834) a year. Qualified investors would gain broad market access excluding privacy coins, also subject to a knowledge test. Read more

Russia’s largest lender, Sberbank, is expanding its push into digital finance as it tests decentralized finance (DeFi) tools and rolls out investment products linked to cryptocurrencies. The post Russia’s Sberbank Tests DeFi Tools, Offers Crypto Investment Products appeared first on Cryptonews.

Belarus blocked major crypto exchange domains the same day Russia signaled it may ease regulated crypto access requirements while clamping down on the gray market. The Belarusian Ministry of Information has blocked access to crypto exchanges Bybit, OKX, Bitget, Gate, Bingx and Weex, it said on Thursday. According to a government announcement, the ministry has restricted access to the global domains of several crypto exchanges, citing “inappropriate advertising” under Article 511 of the Law on Mass Media. Cointelegraph reached out to the blocked exchanges but had not received responses at the time of publication. Read more

Russia’s central bank is considering scrapping its strict requirements for crypto transactions as sanctions make it hard for Russians to transact internationally. An official from the Bank of Russia suggested easing restrictions on cryptocurrencies in response to the sweeping sanctions imposed on the country. According to a Monday report by local news outlet Kommersant, Bank of Russia First Deputy Governor Vladimir Chistyukhin said the regulator is discussing easing regulations for cryptocurrencies. He explicitly linked the rationale for this effort to the sanctions imposed on Russia by Western countries following its invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Chistyukhin said that easing the crypto rules is particularly relevant when Russia and Russians are subject to restrictions “on the use of normal currencies for making payments abroad.” Read more

Russia’s rapid DeFi expansion and increase in large-value transfers indicate growing adoption of crypto for financial services, according to Chainalysis. Crypto adoption in European countries like the United Kingdom and Germany is lagging behind Russia, according to the latest report from US blockchain analytics firm Chainalysis. Russia emerged as the leading crypto market in Chainalysis’ latest European Crypto Adoption report, receiving $376.3 billion in crypto between July 2024 and June 2025. Published Thursday, the report combines analyses of regions previously examined separately, covering Central, Northern, and Western Europe, as well as Eastern Europe as a whole. Read more

Russia’s Central Bank wants to use tokenization solutions to grant foreign buyers access to shares in domestic companies. The post Russia’s Central Bank: Tokenization Will Let Foreigners Buy Domestic Shares appeared first on Cryptonews.

The European Union is looking to block Russian crypto transactions, marking the first time that sanctions have directly targeted cryptocurrency platforms. The European Union will include cryptocurrency platforms in its latest financial sanctions against Russia, marking the first time digital asset services have been directly targeted. The measures, part of the bloc’s 19th sanctions package, prohibit all cryptocurrency transactions for Russian residents and restrict dealings with foreign banks tied to Russia’s alternative payment systems, according to a statement by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen published Friday. The package also seeks to block transactions with entities operating in Russian special economic zones. Read more

According to Gold Telegraph, it’s “likely” that Russia is buying silver for its reserves, sending shockwaves through precious metals markets. For the first time, a central bank is disclosed to be actively accumulating silver, marking a sharp shift in global reserve strategy and a “monumental” moment for silver itself. A new era if Russia is […] The post ‘Monumental’: Russia is likely buying silver for its reserves appeared first on CryptoSlate.

The UK sanctioned Kyrgyz banks, crypto exchanges and individuals tied to Russia’s ruble-backed stablecoin. The United Kingdom imposed sanctions on Kyrgyzstan’s financial sector and crypto networks it said were used by Russia to bypass Western restrictions, targeting an alleged $9.3 billion, ruble-backed stablecoin operation. The new measures build on more than 2,700 existing UK sanctions against Russia and follow a similar move last week by the United States, the UK government said in a Wednesday announcement. Among those sanctioned was Capital Bank of Central Asia and its director, Kantemir Chalbayev, which the UK claims Russia used to finance military goods. Two Kyrgyz crypto exchanges, Grinex and Meer, were also blacklisted, along with entities tied to the infrastructure supporting the A7A5 stablecoin. Read more

CBDC-themed fraud is on the rise in Russia, the country’s Central Bank has warned, as Moscow prepares to start paying digital ruble pension benefits. The post CBDC Fraud Cases on Rise in Russia as Moscow Prepares to Pay Pensions in Digital RUB appeared first on Cryptonews.

Russia’s Sberbank has submitted proposals to let customers store crypto under bank custody, letting tokens be frozen on law-enforcement request while reducing hack risks. The move reflects Moscow’s shift toward regulated digital assets amid sanctions and a scheduled 2026 digital ruble launch. The post Russia’s Sberbank Seeks Green Light for Crypto Custody Amid Regulatory Push appeared first on Cryptonews.

The Russian government is poised to ban domestic data processing centers from mining crypto if they use subsidized power. The post Russia to Block Data Processing Centers from Mining Crypto with Cheap Power appeared first on Cryptonews.

The Russian digital ruble, the nation’s central bank digital currency (CBDC), will finally launch nationwide on September 1, 2026, the Central Bank claims. The post Russia’s Digital Ruble to Roll Out in September 2026, Says Central Bank appeared first on Cryptonews.

Russia will continue taking measures to encourage crypto mining businesses to register with the tax authority, including imposing bigger penalties for violations. Russia’s cryptocurrency laws have not convinced most mining businesses to register with authorities, as only 30% of the miners have entered the Federal Tax Service Register since late 2024. The Russian government began enforcing two crypto mining-related bills in October and November 2024, introducing legal definitions and registration requirements for mining businesses. Still, 70% of the miners remain underground, Finance Ministry official Ivan Chebeskov said, according to a report by local news agency TASS on Thursday. Read more