The Bank of Russia has approved Bitcoin, Ethereum Ether and USD Tether for purchase by non-qualified retail investors across the country.
The decision, announced by the central bank press service, will take effect on November 17. From that date, domestic financial exchanges will have the legal authority to admit the three digital currencies to public trading.
Individual buyers will be permitted to acquire the approved digital currencies through registered brokers, asset managers or cryptocurrency exchange services. However, total purchases through any single financial intermediary will be restricted to a maximum of 300,000 roubles per year.
The Bank of Russia serves as the country's central monetary authority and chief financial regulator, overseeing domestic banking, securities exchanges and currency rules. Under Russian financial legislation, non-qualified investors are retail participants who do not hold specialised trading certifications or large investment portfolios, a classification designed to shield everyday consumers from financial risk.
Criteria for approved cryptocurrencies
The regulator confirmed that only the market's most liquid digital assets were selected for inclusion on the retail list. Qualifying tokens had to meet strict benchmarks for market capitalisation, daily trading turnover, and a verified pricing track record on international trading platforms extending over at least five years.
Central bank officials explained that the stringent requirements are intended to protect non-qualified investors from substantial losses caused by sudden, sharp and unpredictable fluctuations in market prices.
The three selected assets represent the largest and most widely traded digital tokens in the global crypto industry. Bitcoin, launched in 2009, is the world's first and largest cryptocurrency by market capitalisation. Ethereum Ether functions as the native digital token of the Ethereum blockchain network, while USD Tether is a stablecoin designed to maintain a one-to-one peg with the United States dollar.
Cross-border crypto transfers
The newly announced trading rules follow a regulatory reform introduced on September 1, which allowed Russian citizens to transfer digital currency abroad. That measure enabled residents to transfer cryptocurrency to their own foreign digital wallets as well as to overseas commercial accounts to pay for retail goods and services.
The central bank stated that both qualified institutional investors and non-qualified retail buyers will be able to purchase cryptocurrencies and stablecoins under the established legal framework, while retaining the right to move those holdings across international borders.
The directive enters into legal force on November 17, at which point regulated exchanges in Russia may formally introduce the three digital assets into public circulation for non-qualified investors.
