On March 30, 2026, the Russian government approved a package of bills paving the way for the widespread legal circulation of digital currencies and clarifying the rules governing digital rights in Russia.

The package of bills includes the main bill “On Digital Currency and Digital Rights,” as well as two accompanying bills amending other legislative acts, including the Code of Administrative Offenses of the Russian Federation.

Key points:

1. Transactions involving digital currencies will be permitted only through regulated intermediaries. Transactions involving digital currencies without intermediaries are prohibited.

2. Residents are permitted to purchase digital currency abroad by paying for it from foreign accounts and to transfer such digital currency through Russian intermediaries, with mandatory notification of the Federal Tax Service regarding the transactions conducted.

3. Non-qualified investors will be able to purchase only the most liquid digital currencies from the Bank of Russia’s list, after passing a test and within a limit of 300,000 rubles per year through a single intermediary. Qualified investors will be able to conduct transactions with digital currencies without any limits on the amount.

4. The operations of digital custodians and cryptocurrency exchanges are subject to licensing. Existing participants in the traditional financial market—exchanges, brokers, and asset managers—will be able to conduct business in the digital currency sector without additional licensing. Banks and brokers will be able to engage in digital currency activities without obtaining a separate license, provided they comply with certain prudential requirements.

5. The issuance and circulation of digital rights (digital financial assets, unregistered securities, and government securities) in public information systems, outside the closed networks of Russian information system operators, is permitted.

6. Administrative liability is introduced for violations of the requirements governing the activities of organizations conducting transactions with digital currencies.

The draft laws have not yet been officially published. We previously reported on the Concept for Regulating Cryptocurrencies in the Russian Market, prepared by the Bank of Russia, which proposed legislative changes similar to those approved by the Russian Government.