Russia's Central Bank clears Bitcoin, Ethereum and USDT for exchange trading, caps retail access

Russia's Central Bank has confirmed that Bitcoin, Ethereum and the stablecoin USDT are now approved for trading on domestic exchanges, placing them on its official list of eligible cryptocurrencies.

Retail investors face caps

Investors who do not hold qualified status will be limited to these three most liquid cryptocurrencies, with purchases capped at 300,000 rubles' worth per year through any single intermediary, whether a broker, a crypto exchange service, or an asset manager. Because the cap applies per intermediary, using several providers could allow a larger total exposure.

Qualified investors face no such restriction and will be permitted to trade any cryptocurrency listed on the exchanges without a volume limit.

Regardless of status, every investor must complete a test and acknowledge the risks associated with crypto investing before executing a trade.

Background

The rules follow a law passed by Russia's State Duma in July that legalized cryptocurrency circulation in the country, establishing usage regulations and limiting the size of portfolios held by nonqualified investors. At the time, the Central Bank had already indicated that only Bitcoin, Ethereum and USDT met the criteria for exchange trading — a position now formalized in this latest approval.