Russia Finalizes Draft Bill to Bring Cryptos Under Financial Law

Jimmy Aki
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On January 13, 2026, Russia completed a draft bill to remove cryptocurrencies from a special regulatory category. According to the state news agency TASS, the proposal would integrate digital assets into standard financial law by mid-2026.

The move signals a major policy shift, as digital assets would be treated more like standard financial instruments under Russian law, though access for everyday users would remain tightly controlled.

Draft Law Signals Policy Shift After Years of Restrictions

The proposal marks a clear change in how Russia approaches digital assets. For years, cryptocurrency activity largely operated outside normal financial structures, limited to narrow trading frameworks and cross-border use cases.

The new bill would bring cryptocurrencies into everyday financial and legal use. This includes investment activities and formal recognition as property in civil matters. The State Duma plans to review the legislation in its spring 2026 session.

Anatoly Aksakov, chair of the Duma’s Financial Markets Committee, said on Russia-24 that lawmakers want to fully integrate cryptocurrencies into ordinary economic life.

He confirmed that the draft removes crypto’s exceptional legal status and aligns it more closely with existing financial instruments.
The draft builds on steps taken in 2025, when regulators allowed cryptocurrency trading through licensed exchanges, brokers, and depositories.

Those licensed intermediaries would become the only legal access points under the new framework.

Several major exchanges in Moscow and St. Petersburg have already indicated they are operationally prepared, pending final approval.

Historically, the Central Bank of Russia opposed broader crypto adoption. Pressure from international sanctions, however, has moderated this stance. Officials now describe the bill as a way to manage risk and establish clear legal boundaries, moving activity out of regulatory grey areas.

Major Economies Move to Clarify Crypto Rules as Institutional Access Expands

A central feature of the draft bill is a firm distinction between retail and professional investors. Retail participants would face strict safeguards, including mandatory risk assessments, a limited list of approved cryptocurrencies, and an annual investment cap of 300,000 rubles.

Lawmakers say these measures aim to limit potential losses and mirror protections already used in traditional financial markets.

Professional investors, defined by income level, experience, or relevant education, would not be subject to those caps.

Officials argue that this structure supports responsible market growth while allowing experienced participants to operate freely.

The framework is designed to support institutional crypto adoption within Russia without exposing less experienced investors to excessive risk.

Russia’s move comes as other major economies also work to clarify crypto regulation. In South Korea, regulators are preparing rules that would ease a long-standing ban on corporate cryptocurrency investment.

Local media reports suggest listed companies and professional investors could invest up to 5% of equity annually in crypto, limited to the top 20 assets.
Bitcoin and Ethereum are expected to dominate allocations, with trading restricted to regulated exchanges and subject to price limits and split-order execution.

If approved, corporate participation could begin later this year, ending restrictions introduced in 2017.

The United States is debating the CLARITY Act, which aims to define oversight roles between the SEC and CFTC, though full implementation could take years.

The United Kingdom is also acting. HM Treasury plans to classify crypto under existing financial rules. Exchanges and wallets would fall under Financial Conduct Authority supervision by 2027.

About Jimmy Aki PRO INVESTOR

Based in the UK, Jimmy is an economic researcher with outstanding hands-on and heads-on experience in Macroeconomic finance analysis, forecasting and planning. He has honed his skills having worked cross-continental as a finance analyst, which gives him inter-cultural experience. He currently has a strong passion for regulation and macroeconomic trends as it allows him peek under the global bonnet to see how the world works.