Putin signs Russia's first comprehensive law regulating crypto assets

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday, 4 August 2026 (13 Mordad 1405), signed a law establishing the country's first comprehensive framework for regulating cryptocurrency and digital asset activity. According to Russia's state news agency TASS, the law governs the issuance, custody, registration, mining and exchange of crypto assets, along with digital depositories, brokerages and digital asset platform operators.

Under the law, only entities registered with a dedicated state system will be permitted to operate as crypto exchanges. Existing operators may continue without registration until 1 July 2027, provided registered exchanges hold at least 15 million rubles (about 187,000 dollars) in capital. The law keeps in place a ban on using crypto as payment for goods and services in Russia. Retail investors may buy up to 300,000 rubles a year in highly liquid crypto through each licensed intermediary, while qualified investors who pass a crypto knowledge test face no purchase limit.