Russia unveils draft rules for crypto trading

Russia's central bank has proposed draft rules for regulated crypto trading, setting capital requirements and extending securities rules to digital assets. Public consultation is ongoing.

The Bank of Russia has released draft regulations to establish the country's first framework for organized trading of digital assets and digital rights. These proposals set capital requirements for crypto exchanges and digital depositories, ranging from 50 million to 250 million rubles, depending on the services offered. Exchanges would be responsible for setting their own trading procedures, calculating and publishing market and weighted average prices, and disclosing trading information to the central bank. Digital depositories must maintain records of cryptocurrencies and digital rights, with formal customer ownership registration. The framework extends existing securities market rules—such as custody, record-keeping, and disclosure—to digital assets. The draft regulations are open for public consultation and form part of Russia's broader move to integrate crypto assets into a regulated trading environment. Final regulations, licenses, and operational systems are required before any market launch.