Russian Finance Minister Anton Siluanov announced on April 23, 2025, that the Ministry of Finance and the Bank of Russia are jointly developing a cryptocurrency exchange exclusively for "super-qualified investors" under a three-year experimental legal regime, aiming to legitimise crypto assets and bring operations "out of the shadows".
The platform will be accessible only to investors holding at least 100 million rubles ($1.2 million) in investments or earning an annual income exceeding 50 million rubles, although Osman Kabaloev from the Finance Ministry noted these thresholds may still be adjusted. Having banned cryptocurrencies for payments in 2021, Russia is now seeking new legal pathways to integrate digital assets, with the Moscow Exchange preparing to launch cryptocurrency-linked derivatives trading by 2025, while the Kremlin considers developing its own national stablecoin, particularly following the US freezing of wallets linked to the Russian exchange Garantex.
While Igor Danilenko from Renaissance Capital described cryptocurrencies as a "pyramid scheme" lacking real backing, Russian authorities are making decisive moves toward crypto regulation. Evgeny Masharov of the Russian Civic Chamber proposed on March 20, 2025, creating a state-run crypto fund that would include assets confiscated during criminal proceedings, as other officials develop legislation to recognise cryptocurrencies as property for criminal procedure purposes.
Sources:
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Kevin Helms
2.
Dishita Malvania
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The Russian Finance Ministry and Bank of Russia plan to create an experimental crypto exchange for “super‑qualified” investors under a three‑year legal framework—aimed at bringing crypto trading out of the shadows :contentReference[oaicite:1]{index=1}.
