Bank of Russia speeds up digital asset rules following fresh western sanctions

Under new proposals, the central bank will treat digital assets like standard securities, requiring exchanges to publish volume-weighted market prices.

Bank of Russia speeds up digital asset rules following fresh western sanctions

Policy

Russia outlines new digital depository rules ahead of fall crypto framework roll-out

The central bank's draft rules require digital asset platforms to hold up to $2.8 million in liquid capital as a sweeping regulatory framework looms.

By

Olivier Acuna

|

Edited by

Jamie Crawley

Jul 28, 2026, 2:49 p.m.

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The Bank of Russia unveiled new crypto rules as the country prepares to roll-out a digital assets framework in September. (Ludvig14/Wikimedia Commons)

Summary

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The Bank of Russia has published draft regulations to create organized cryptocurrency markets, extending existing securities market rules to digital assets.

The proposals would establish regulated “digital depositories” with tiered capital requirements from 50 million to 250 million rubles, depending on the services they provide and the types of assets they hold.

The draft rules, issued under a new digital assets law taking effect by September, are open for public assessment and come shortly after the European Union announced a new sanctions package targeting Russian-linked crypto firms.

The Bank of Russia

published its first draft rules

as part of the introduction of cryptocurrency regulations in the country, including capital requirements for companies that hold and record digital assets.

The proposals would extend systems already used in Russia’s securities markets, including exchange trading, custody, record-keeping and disclosure rules, to digital assets.

The framework

would create “digital depositories,”

regulated companies that would record holdings of cryptocurrencies and other digital assets. They would need between 50 million ($570,000) and 250 million rubles ($2.8 million) in capital, depending on the services they provide.

Settlement depositories would require 250 million rubles ($2.8 million) in capital The requirement falls to 100 million rubles ($1.1 million) for firms that control crypto addresses or hold assets with foreign custodians, and 50 million rubles ($570,000) for other digital depositories.

Assets counted toward those capital requirements must be liquid, while eligible financial assets must meet the central bank’s credit-quality standards. The requirements would also apply to operators of electronic platforms that settle transactions involving digital financial assets.

The central bank will maintain registers of digital depositories, crypto exchange operators and companies that issue digital financial assets.

The regulations were drafted under a digital assets bill

adopted by the State Duma on July 21

and

approved by the Federation Council on July 24

. The cryptocurrency framework is scheduled to come into full force by September. The central bank’s proposals are not yet final and have been released for public assessment.

The central bank’s drafts and announcements on digital asset rules follows four days after the European Union (EU)

unveiled its 21st sanction package

targeting 14 crypto firms, including A7, a $120 billion stablecoin network.

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