Russia’s central bank has finalized rules allowing exchanges to offer Bitcoin (BTC), Ether (ETH) and Tether USDt (USDT) to retail investors starting Nov. 17, according to Cointelegraph’s report published on Nov. 7, 2026, at 02:47:45 UTC+8.
The framework expands access through regulated intermediaries while restricting how investors can buy and transfer cryptocurrency outside those channels. It establishes trading access, but the report provides no investor participation or trading-volume figures to measure adoption.
Purchase limits and mandatory testing
Non-qualified investors will be allowed to purchase up to 300,000 rubles—around $3,700—in cryptocurrency annually through each intermediary, including brokers, asset managers and crypto exchange providers. The limit is per intermediary, rather than a single aggregate allowance across all providers.
Qualified investors will face no purchase limits. All investors, however, 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.
Regulated market rollout
The directive follows legislation signed by President Vladimir Putin on Aug. 4 establishing a regulated cryptocurrency market under central bank oversight. The law took effect Sept. 1, and the Bank of Russia authorized Sberbank, the country’s largest bank, to offer crypto exchange services in October.
Moscow Exchange, Russia’s largest securities exchange and a publicly traded company, was preparing to launch cryptocurrency trading on Dec. 1, initially offering the three eligible cryptocurrencies through pilot transactions.
Restrictions beyond regulated platforms
The broader access comes with significant limits:
- Direct peer-to-peer cryptocurrency trading will be prohibited starting July 1, 2027.
- Transfers from regulated digital accounts to self-custody wallets were already banned at the time of the report, according to the Bank of Russia.
- Using cryptocurrency to pay for goods and services remains prohibited.
The distinction matters when assessing adoption: the rules broaden regulated investment access, but do not permit crypto payments or unrestricted movement into self-custody. Whether that access translates into sustained participation is not established by the reported rollout plans.
Original article: Cointelegraph — published Nov. 7, 2026, at 02:47:45 UTC+8.
