Russia Opens Crypto Trading to Retail Investors From Nov. 17 With Strict Limits

Everyday Russians will soon be able to buy digital coins through licensed channels. The central bank has settled its final framework, and from Nov. 17 exchanges may sell Bitcoin, Ether and Tether’s USDT to retail customers. The framework grows out of a law signed by President Vladimir Putin on Aug. 4, which placed the crypto market under central bank supervision. That law came into force on Sept. 1.

Retail Investor Limits and Eligible Coins

Purchase Caps and Mandatory Testing

People without qualified status can spend up to 300,000 rubles, about $3,700, on crypto each year through every intermediary, whether a broker, asset manager or crypto exchange provider. Qualified investors face no ceiling. Everyone, however, has to pass a required test before placing a trade.

How the Three Coins Were Chosen

In its Aug. 11 draft, the Bank of Russia picked the three assets by looking at market capitalization, average daily trading volume and at least five years of price history on foreign exchanges. In October the regulator also cleared Sberbank, the country’s biggest lender, to run crypto exchange services.

Moscow Exchange Launch and P2P Crackdown

Moscow Exchange, the largest securities venue in the country, plans to start crypto trading on Dec. 1 with pilot deals in the same three coins. While access widens on regulated platforms, activity outside them is shrinking. Direct peer to peer trading will be banned from July 1, 2027, and moving funds from regulated digital accounts to self custody wallets is already prohibited.