Source published Nov. 7, 2026, at 02:47:45 UTC+8. This article reflects that reporting date.
Russia’s central bank has finalized rules allowing exchanges to offer Bitcoin (BTC), Ether (ETH) and Tether USDt (USDT) to retail investors from Nov. 17, 2026, according to Cointelegraph. The framework expands access through regulated intermediaries while restricting activity outside those channels.
Purchase limits and eligibility
Non-qualified investors will be able to purchase up to 300,000 rubles—approximately $3,700—in cryptocurrency annually through each intermediary, including brokers, asset managers and crypto exchange providers. Qualified investors face no purchase limits. All investors must pass a mandatory test before trading.
The Bank of Russia’s Aug. 11 draft regulations identified BTC, ETH and USDT as eligible for public trading based on market capitalization, average daily trading volume and at least five years of price history on foreign exchanges.
Regulatory and exchange timeline
The rules build on legislation signed by President Vladimir Putin on Aug. 4, 2026, establishing a regulated cryptocurrency market under central bank oversight. The law took effect on Sept. 1. In October, the Bank of Russia authorized Sberbank, the country’s largest bank, to offer crypto exchange services.
Moscow Exchange, Russia’s largest securities exchange and a publicly traded company, was preparing to launch cryptocurrency trading on Dec. 1, 2026, initially offering the three cryptocurrencies through pilot transactions.
Restrictions outside regulated platforms
According to the Bank of Russia, transfers from regulated digital accounts to self-custody wallets were already banned at the time of reporting. Direct peer-to-peer crypto trading is set to be prohibited from July 1, 2027. Russia also maintains a ban on using cryptocurrency to pay for goods and services.
The reported changes concern regulated market access and custody restrictions. The source provides no price, liquidity or trading-flow readings from which to assess their market impact.