In Russia, Bitcoin, Ether and Tether Enter Official Exchange Trading Starting September

According to Arzdigital, Russia's central bank approved Bitcoin, Ether and Tether for public trading on the country's licensed exchanges in a decision announced Tuesday, August 11, 2026 (20 Mordad 1405), the first time several digital assets have been cleared for organized trading under Russia's new crypto law. Under the framework, which takes effect September 1, 2026 (10 Shahrivar 1405), only assets with at least 5 trillion rubles in market value, more than 1 trillion rubles in average daily trading volume over the past two years, and at least five years of price history on international markets can be admitted; privacy coins are explicitly excluded. Qualified investors can trade the three assets without limit, but non-professional retail investors face an annual purchase cap of about $4,000 and must pass a risk assessment before investing. Using cryptocurrency to buy goods and services inside Russia remains banned. The decision marks a shift for Russia's central bank, which in 2022 had called for a broad ban on crypto trading and mining.