Russia allows trading in bitcoin, ethereum and USDT

Russia’s central bank said it has added bitcoin, ethereum and USDT to a list of cryptocurrencies that may be traded on Russian exchanges, a change that would allow these tokens to appear in public order books once platforms meet the required conditions.

In its statement, the central bank said the framework also enables qualified investors to trade other tokens on exchange and over-the-counter venues, subject to the rules laid out for domestic trading and sales.

Central bank sets conditions for public order-book trading

Officials said the measures were detailed in a Officials said the measures were detailed in a written statement that sets out rules for listing and trading on domestic platforms. The same statement also describes how tokens may be sold to qualified investors. The central bank said separate registration and disclosure requirements will apply to tokens that are listed for public trading. Officials added that exchanges and other trading platforms must comply with the bank’s listing criteria before public order-book trading can begin. Implementation steps still required before listings can start Officials emphasized that the announcement does not itself create immediate listings. Instead, they said platform operators and regulators must complete implementation steps, including compliance checks and technical integration.

As a result, market reaction was described as pending, with practical changes depending on when exchanges complete the required work and publish their own decisions.

Potential effects on on-shore access, liquidity, and custody Officials said the change could broaden on-shore access for both global and domestic holders and shift some crypto flows onto regulated venues. They added that this would affect liquidity and custody practices inside Russia.

At the same time, officials said broader cross-border settlement and sanction-related frictions would remain unchanged under the new approach.

August 18, 2026 flagged as the first milestone Officials said markets will be watching for formal listing timetables from Russia’s exchanges and clarity on which platforms apply. They added that they expect initial implementation decisions by August 18, 2026, describing it as the first explicit milestone for when public trading might begin.

Until exchanges complete compliance and integration, the central bank’s move sets the regulatory pathway rather than guaranteeing when trading will start on public order books.