The Central Bank of Russia Releases Draft Regulations for Cryptocurrency Trading Platforms and Custodians

July 29th - The Central Bank of Russia (CBR) has released a draft of cryptocurrency market regulatory rules, covering registration and operational requirements for exchanges, digital custody providers, and token issuers. According to the draft, digital custody providers must have a minimum net worth ranging from 500 million to 2.5 billion rubles (approximately $600,000 to $3 million), depending on the nature of their business.

The above rules will complement the "Digital Currency and Digital Rights Act" passed earlier this month by the Russian State Duma, which is expected to officially take effect on September 1, 2026. Under the new framework, non-qualified investors will only be allowed to purchase mainstream assets such as BTC, ETH, USDT, with an annual limit of $4,000; industry participants will have a transition period until March 1, 2027, to complete compliance and approval procedures.