Russia Imposes Strict Crypto Trading Limits Amid Bill Approval

Russia's State Duma approved a sweeping crypto bill on July 21 that brings trading into a licensed financial system. The new framework introduces an annual 300,000-ruble purchase limit for retail traders and caps qualified investors at 3 million rubles.

The bill allows individuals and companies to buy and sell crypto through licensed Russian intermediaries, including brokers, asset managers, exchanges, digital depositories, and registered crypto exchangers. These new entities will need at least 15 million rubles in capital and must install anti-fraud systems, separate client assets from company funds, and meet strict compliance, staffing, and cybersecurity rules.

Industry critics warn that the framework could dismantle Russia's existing crypto market. Exved founder Sergey Mendeleev argued that the industry had submitted detailed proposals since December 2025, but lawmakers largely ignored them. He described the bill as 'a ban' rather than regulation.