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- Russia will initially allow non-qualified investors to access only Bitcoin, Ethereum, and USDT.
- The central bank will keep investment limits unchanged because of crypto market risks.
- Officials may review additional digital assets in the future if market conditions change.
Russia’s central bank has decided to maintain a strict approach toward crypto investments for non-qualified investors during the first phase of the country’s digital asset regulation. Officials believe that limiting access to a small number of cryptocurrencies will help reduce financial risks while the new regulatory system develops.
First Deputy Chairman Vladimir Chistyukhin confirmed that retail investors without professional qualifications will only be allowed to purchase Bitcoin, Ethereum, and the USDT stablecoin. The regulator does not plan to add more cryptocurrencies at the launch of the new framework despite earlier discussions about possible expansion.
Russia Warns Crypto Is Highly Volatile and Risky
According to the Bank of Russia, cryptocurrencies are extremely volatile and dangerous instruments. The regulator warns that cryptocurrencies can be affected by restrictions, blocking, freezing, and other factors that can lead to changes in an individual investor’s portfolio.
Therefore, regulators concluded that there was no point in providing more opportunities to new investors to enter the cryptocurrency market. Instead, the authorities plan to observe market behavior until they decide whether to expand the list of cryptocurrencies.
Regulators also rejected the proposal to raise the investment limit for unqualified investors. The 300,000-ruble limit established earlier would not change. Regulators claim that the established restriction already exceeds the amount of money kept in trading and trust accounts, which is why raising the investment limit poses unnecessary risks for individuals.
Nevertheless, Russian officials are skeptical about the possibility of introducing stable coins into circulation. Although Chistyukhin stated that USDT had been included in the initial list, he added that there was still the danger of blocking and freezing actions towards stablecoins.
Russia Plans Stablecoin Expansion for International Settlements
This debate arose from the hopes that the development of stablecoins in Russia would enable the country to make international transactions in the future. In addition, the officials mentioned that it might be possible to include domestic stablecoins after they prove their effectiveness.
Government officials suggested including stablecoins issued by countries that maintain good relations with Russia. At the same time, representatives of cryptocurrency exchanges believe that users want to invest in large and popular cryptocurrencies. The bill regarding cryptocurrency trading will regulate the functioning of cryptocurrency markets in Russia legally.
The document sets out roles of exchanges, brokers, depositories, and other organizations. The bill also involves testing investors’ knowledge before they purchase cryptocurrencies. The bill was adopted at the first reading and should be accepted in the summer. Russian authorities intend to launch the new regulatory system on July 1, 2026.
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