Russia has finished writing the rulebook for retail crypto trading – and given it a start date. Under the Russia crypto trading rules finalized by the Bank of Russia, licensed exchanges, brokers and asset managers may offer Bitcoin, Ether and Tether to everyday investors starting November 17, 2026.
The directive was registered by the Russian Ministry of Justice and lands two weeks before the Moscow Exchange begins concluding crypto transactions on December 1. From proposal to launchpad, Russia’s legal crypto market has moved faster than most people’s tax filings.
What the Russia crypto trading rules allow
Only three assets make the cut for retail: BTC, ETH and USDT. Licensed intermediaries – 17 firms have joined the exchange-provider register since October 6, including Sberbank and VTB – can sell them to non-qualified investors, while qualified investors face no purchase cap.
The framework rests on federal laws 282-FZ and 283-FZ, which took effect September 1, 2026 and formalized a regulated intermediary regime with the central bank empowered to set the permitted-asset list.
The fine print: caps, tests and no self-custody
Non-qualified investors may buy up to 300,000 rubles (about $3,700) of crypto per year through a single intermediary. Everyone – qualified or not – must pass a mandatory knowledge test before trading.
Self-custody is not on the table either: transfers from regulated digital accounts to personal wallets are already prohibited. And starting July 1, 2027, direct peer-to-peer trading is banned outright, funneling all volume through licensed participants. Russia’s crypto market is being built like a highway system: gated on-ramps, no side roads.
From November 17 to December 1: the rollout calendar
The timeline stacks up quickly. The directive bites on November 17, the Moscow Exchange starts settling crypto trades December 1, and Sberbank plans to open BTC, ETH and USDT trading to all clients the same day after completing testing.
If the rollout holds, Russia will end 2026 with one of the most structured retail crypto regimes anywhere – rigid caps, mandatory tests and a state-bank distribution network included. Whether that structure attracts retail or suffocates it is the question the first few months will answer.
