Russia’s Crypto Law to Cap Retail Bitcoin Buys at $4,000 a Year Ahead of 2027 Launch

Russia plans to introduce a full crypto rulebook this summer, with the goal of making legal Bitcoin (BTC) access possible for both retail and institutional investors by mid-2027, according to Anatoly Aksakov, who leads the State Duma’s financial markets committee.

Aksakov said the package will be ready for lawmakers to vote on at the end of June. If it passes, the law is expected to take effect on July 1, 2027.

The biggest change is that crypto exchanges would be brought into a licensing regime. Today, many platforms operate in a legal gray area. Under the draft approach, running an exchange without registration would be treated like illegal banking, which means that penalties could include fines and, in serious cases, prison.

Russia has argued for years over whether to regulate crypto or ban it, going back and forth with it, and just reaching deadlock after deadlock. The finance ministry is pushing for regulation and taxes, and the central bank is pushing for a China-style ban. 

That constant deadlock has eased as crypto use has grown, especially for cross-border payments that avoid dollars. 

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Limited Access and Cryptocurrencies

Aksakov pointed to rising demand from banks and traders for access to “real” crypto rather than only derivative exposure. In parallel, the central bank still plans to launch the digital ruble nationwide in September.

Retail access would come with limits. Aksakov said retail buyers will need to pass an eligibility test. Lawmakers have also discussed a yearly cap of US$4,000 (AU$5.6K) for retail crypto purchases.

Alexandra Fedotova, lawyer at White Stone Consulting, told Parliamentary Gazette that retail trading may be restricted to a short list of top cryptocurrencies set by the central bank:

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