Russia | Crypto

Political activist Bill Browder, the teenager’s father, said his son was “the first high school student in the world to be sanctioned by an authoritarian regime” over a report on the ruble-pegged stablecoin A7A5. Alexander Browder, the son of American-British political activist Bill Browder, said that he has been targeted by Russia over allegations that officials used the ruble-pegged A7A5 stablecoin to evade sanctions amid the country's war on Ukraine. In a Wednesday X post, Browder said his work through the website Global Cryptocurrency Laundering Database had resulted in him being “sanctioned by an authoritarian regime for uncovering corruption.” Specifically, he alleged in a March report that A7A5 was backed by deposits from Russian financial institution Promsvyazban and was used to circumvent Western sanctions stemming from Russia’s war on Ukraine. “The Ruble-backed stablecoin A7A5 is one of the most prevalent issues facing the West. It is sanctioned in the UK, US and EU but it still operates,” said Brow...

The A7A5 stablecoin was designed to bypass sanctions imposed on Russia following its invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

Western governments spent three years building what they believed was an airtight financial blockade around Russia, severing its banks from SWIFT, freezing sovereign reserves, and barring major institutions from clearing dollar transactions. And according to British authorities, Russia may have spent much of that same period engineering an alternative financial system designed to circumvent it […] The post UK treats crypto network like a sanctioned bank after claims it processed $90B for Russia appeared first on CryptoSlate.

Formerly Huobi Global, the exchange is the latest entity to be named as part of a crackdown on companies “exploited by Russia to circumvent UK sanctions.” The UK government has added cryptocurrency exchange HTX to its list of sanctioned entities over its support of Russia. On Tuesday, UK authorities said that there were “reasonable grounds to suspect” HTX, formerly Huobi Global, has been supporting Russia’s government through financial services and funds facilitated by the A7 Limited Liability Company and Garantex, other sanctioned entities. The crypto exchange, headquartered in Panama, was the latest to be named as part of a crackdown on entities “exploited by Russia to circumvent UK sanctions.” “If the Kremlin thinks it can evade our sanctions by hiding behind crypto networks and shadow financial systems, it is gravely mistaken,” said UK Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper. Read more

The European Union noted that Russia has become increasingly reliant on cryptocurrency to circumvent sanctions.

Russian lawmakers passed a first reading of a bill regulating crypto through licensed intermediaries, with key rules set to take effect in July 2026 and 2027. Russia’s lower house of parliament passed a bill in first reading on Tuesday that would create the country’s core legal framework for digital currency, moving Moscow closer to a system that channels crypto trading through licensed intermediaries under Bank of Russia oversight. The draft bill No. 1194918-8, titled “On Digital Currency and Digital Rights,” passed its first reading in the State Duma on Tuesday, according to official records. The bill would allow Russians to buy and sell crypto through approved intermediaries as early as July, while banning unlicensed crypto platforms beginning in July 2027, if the draft becomes law. Read more

Individuals and groups would be required to register with the Bank of Russia before offering certain crypto services, or potentially face fines and prison time. Russia’s government submitted a bill to its parliament’s lower house in an effort to amend the country's legal code to attach criminal liability for crypto services offered without regulatory approval or licensing. In a draft law sent to the State Duma on Friday, Russian lawmakers proposed that entities "carrying out activities related to the organization of digital currency circulation,” that operate without a license from Russia’s central bank, could be subject to criminal liability. Without registration with the Bank of Russia, individuals could face up to $4,000 in fines and up to four years in prison, or more severe penalties if part of an organized group. Read more

Binance rejected the allegations, saying it flags suspicious activity, enforces strict compliance procedures and does not permit Iranian users on the platform. A senior US lawmaker launched a congressional inquiry into crypto exchange Binance following reports that the platform processed about $1.7 billion in transactions tied to sanctioned Iranian entities and Russia’s oil “shadow fleet.” On Tuesday, Senator Richard Blumenthal, ranking member of the Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations, sent a letter to Binance CEO Richard Teng requesting documents and internal records related to the exchange’s sanctions controls and compliance practices. Citing reporting from the Wall Street Journal, New York Times and Fortune, Blumenthal said Binance compliance staff had identified two partner entities, including Hexa Whale and Blessed Trust, as intermediaries enabling trade with Iranian government-linked organizations. Internal investigators also reportedly traced transfers to wallets associated with Iran’s Isl...

Russian authorities claim the Telegram messenger refused to remove 155,000 channels flagged for illegal content, according to multiple media reports. Update (Feb. 24, 7:40 pm UTC): This article has been updated to include Pavel Durov’s statement. Russian authorities have opened a criminal investigation into Telegram co-founder and CEO Pavel Durov, according to state media reports. Durov is being investigated in Russia as part of a criminal case involving allegations of facilitation of terrorist activities, official state publication Rossiyskaya Gazeta reported on Tuesday, citing the Federal Security Service (FSB). Read more

Russia’s recent messaging crackdown is the cleanest real-world stress test of decentralization in years, and it produced an awkward result. Roskomnadzor began throttling Telegram on Feb. 10, citing “non-compliance.” Two days later, authorities fully blocked WhatsApp, removing its domains from Russia's national registry and forcing users toward VPNs or MAX, a state-backed messenger that critics […] The post Russia’s censorship crackdown and WhatsApp ban expose the decentralization gap the crypto industry keeps missing appeared first on CryptoSlate.

Russian news outlets reported on Wednesday that WhatsApp’s domain had been completely blocked and was inaccessible without a VPN or another workaround. WhatsApp, the messaging app owned by social media giant Meta, has accused Russia of attempting to block access for millions of its users to push them towards its state-owned alternative. “Trying to isolate over 100 million users from private and secure communication is a backward step and can only lead to less safety for people in Russia. We continue to do everything we can to keep users connected,” the company said in an X post on Wednesday. Moscow’s state-backed platform Max was launched in March 2025 by Russian tech firm VK as a domestic alternative to foreign-owned services such as WhatsApp and Telegram. Read more

The EU plans to ban crypto transactions with Russia by shutting down all related channels, but analysts question whether the measure is fully enforceable. The European Union is finalizing a new package of sanctions aimed at closing loopholes that officials say have allowed Russia to use cryptocurrency to circumvent existing restrictions. The EU is seeking to “ban all cryptocurrency transactions with Russia” as part of the upcoming 20th sanctions package, the Financial Times reported on Tuesday. Unlike previous efforts targeting Russia-linked entities spun out of already sanctioned platforms, the newly proposed measures are broader and are designed to close Russia’s crypto loophole entirely. Read more

The European Commission's 20th sanctions package proposes a comprehensive ban on all cryptocurrency transactions involving Russia, an escalation from targeting specific bad actors to attempting to sanitize the rails themselves. The question is whether the EU can raise the cost of evasion sufficiently by controlling chokepoints: regulated exchanges, stablecoin issuers, and third-country financial intermediaries. The […] The post Blanket crypto ban targets Russia rails but one chokepoint decides whether flows die or just relocate offshore appeared first on CryptoSlate.

Russia’s biggest bank said it plans to offer loans secured by cryptocurrency following a pilot deal with a mining firm, with legislation expected by mid-2026.

BitRiver, Russia's largest Bitcoin mining operation controlling over 50% of the national market, is spiraling toward bankruptcy following a court-ordered observation proceeding against its parent company over a $9.2 million debt claim, compounded by regional mining bans, energy disputes, and the recent detention of CEO Igor Runets on tax evasion charges. The post Russia’s Largest Bitcoin Miner BitRiver Faces Bankruptcy Crisis – What Went Wrong? appeared first on Cryptonews.

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.