Russians will be prohibited from directly selling cryptocurrency to each other

Центральний банк Російської Федерації планує повністю заборонити операції з цифровими валютами між фізичними особами за моделлю P2P. Йдеться про угоди, під час яких користувачі купують або продають криптовалюту безпосередньо одне одному, без використання регульованих посередників.

According to The Moscow Times, citing information from Delo, the restrictions should work from July 1, 2027. Until this date, direct agreements between citizens will remain possible according to the current rules.

It is planned to ban not only the purchase and sale of digital assets, but also transfers of cryptocurrency between citizens, in particular those carried out on the basis of agreements between the parties.

Transactions with cryptocurrency will be allowed through regulated intermediaries

The new restrictions are part of a broader policy by Russian authorities to control digital assets. In September 2026, a law came into force in Russia, which provides for transactions with cryptocurrencies through intermediaries approved by the regulator.

According to the described rules, it will be possible to buy and sell crypto assets through regulated exchanges, brokers and crypto exchanges. At the same time, the use of cryptocurrency for internal payments remains prohibited.

Thus, the authorities seek to transfer transactions with digital assets into a controlled financial system and limit opportunities for informal exchange between citizens.

An annual limit will be set for unqualified investors

The Russian regulator also plans to limit the amount of cryptocurrency investments for citizens who do not have the status of a qualified investor.

Before conducting operations, users will need to undergo mandatory testing. However, even after successfully passing the verification, unqualified investors will be able to purchase digital assets for an amount of no more than 300 thousand rubles per year through one intermediary.

According to the regulator, this category includes approx 98% of investors. Therefore, the proposed restrictions may cover the vast majority of Russians who invest in cryptocurrencies.

Cryptocurrency transfers abroad will also be controlled

Separate requirements will apply to international transactions. According to the information from the message, such operations will be allowed through accounts in foreign banks, and the transfer of cryptocurrency purchased in Russia abroad must take place through regulated intermediaries.

Additional restrictions are provided for the transfer of assets to cold crypto wallets, which are used to store digital currencies without a permanent connection to the Internet. For such a transfer, they plan to introduce a preliminary transfer of assets to a foreign custodial wallet, where storage is controlled by a specialized provider.

How much Russians keep in cryptocurrencies

According to the estimates of the Russian regulator, as of the end of March, the funds of Russian citizens on cryptocurrency exchanges amounted to approx 720 billion rubles. At the same time, it is difficult to estimate the total volume of assets of Russians on decentralized platforms.

The tightening of controls comes amid a broader debate about the risks of storing digital assets. In particular, USDT holders may face a token freeze as the Tether stablecoin issuer has the technical ability to block certain addresses in accordance with applicable restrictions and requirements.

The new Russian rules should significantly change the procedure for buying, selling and transferring cryptocurrencies. If the proposed approach is implemented, direct exchange between citizens will become a thing of the past, and the main transactions with digital assets will be concentrated in the regulated financial sector.