Russia to Ease Barriers for Personal Crypto Trading

Russia Slashes Crypto Red Tape—Personal Trading Just Got a Green Light

The Regulatory Shift

Moscow axes bureaucratic hurdles for retail crypto investors, paving the way for smoother digital asset transactions. No more wrestling with complex compliance checks—just straight-to-wallet action.

The Finance Angle

Government bodies fast-track reforms that ditch outdated restrictions. They’re finally acknowledging what crypto natives knew all along: barriers don’t stop adoption, they just push it underground.

Why It Matters

This isn’t just policy tweaking—it’s a signal that traditional finance’s grip is loosening. While banks fret over KYC paperwork, Russians might just bypass them entirely. Because nothing says 'financial freedom' like watching legacy institutions scramble to keep up.

One step for regulators, one leap for crypto-kind—and another headache for bankers who still think blockchain is a fad.

Ministry Pushes to Lower Investor Barriers

According to local reports, speaking at the Eastern Economic Forum in Vladivostok on September 3, Finance Ministry Financial Policy Director Alexey Yakovlev confirmed that reducing the entry bar is under discussion.

“We are discussing exactly these figures,” Yakovlev told reporters, referring to the existing standards of 100 million rubles ($1.23 million) in securities and deposits or 50 million rubles ($615,753) in annual income.

“We believe these criteria can be adjusted downwards. It’s being discussed now.”

In Russia, only individuals with significant personal fortunes qualify as “especially qualified” investors, or “superquals.” This limits participation in the experimental legal regime (ELR), which the government created in March to oversee organized crypto trading.

Yakovlev emphasized that while some criteria should remain, blocking ordinary citizens undermines the pilot. He said, “The project cannot fulfill its function if limited to a super-small LAYER of society.”

Russia Central Bank Resistance and Putin’s Compromise

Last year, President Vladimir Putin ordered the Finance Ministry and the Central Bank to strike a compromise on crypto regulation. Since then, Moscow has begun a broader crypto pivot, using tokens like Bitcoin (BTC) in cross-border trade deals. Putin also urged regions with idle energy reserves to actively engage in crypto mining.

By March 2025, the Bank of Russia reinforced its opposition to the free circulation of decentralized currencies. It recommended that the government restrict transactions to the ELR and ban all crypto payments between residents outside the framework. The proposal also included establishing criminal liability for violations.

Two months later, in May 2025, the regulator permitted qualified investors to buy crypto‑based products such as bitcoin futures. According to local reports, Russian investors had purchased $16 million worth within a month.

The ELR itself was introduced as a temporary three‑year framework. Yakovlev explained that after the trial, permanent rules would follow.

The debate exposes a larger clash: regulators warning of risks while policymakers press for expansion. It also signals Russia’s accelerating turn toward digital assets, from cross‑border Bitcoin settlements to state‑backed mining initiatives.

Despite limited legal options, Russians are believed to hold more than $25 billion in digital assets. Without centralized domestic exchanges, most purchases still occur on foreign platforms.