Russia's Central Bank Proposes First Framework for Retail Crypto Trading

Russia's central bank has proposed its first framework for letting ordinary investors trade crypto on public markets.

The Bank of Russia published a draft directive on Aug. 11 that would let non-qualified investors buy digital assets through brokers, crypto exchanges or managers—within a strict annual ceiling.

"We're setting a limit on the purchase of cryptocurrencies for non-qualified investors," the central bank said in a separate notice. "Through each intermediary—a broker, crypto exchanger, or manager—they will be able to acquire such assets in the amount of 300 thousand rubles per year."

The draft names exactly three tokens cleared for public exchange trading: Bitcoin, Ethereum, and Tether’s USDT. The central bank tied the short list to a law signed this month. "The list of digital currencies that the trading organizer is entitled to admit for public circulation on organized trading platforms (hereinafter referred to as the ‘List’): Bitcoin (Bitcoin), Ethereum (Ethereum), Tether USDT (Tether USDT)." the notice reads.

The filter is liquidity and track record. Under the new federal law on digital currencies, a coin's market cap, average daily volume and at least five years of pricing history on foreign platforms decide if it qualifies. "To protect non-qualified investors from sharp and unpredictable fluctuations in cryptocurrency rates, only the most liquid of them will be available to them," the bank said.

The cap itself is written into the directive's operative text. "The maximum amount of the total value of digital currencies acquired through a broker during the calendar year amounts to 300 thousand rubles," Article 2 states.

XRP, the cryptocurrency created by the founders of payments company Ripple in 2012, has been left off the approved list for now. The token would seemingly qualify given the criteria, but XRP over the years has gone through regulatory troubles—stemming from a since-settled SEC lawsuit against Ripple—that caused the token to be delisted and then relisted on several exchanges, which could be playing a factor.

Qualified investors—Russia's wealthier, accredited class—face none of these walls. "Qualified investors will be able to acquire all cryptocurrencies that will be traded on the exchange and over-the-counter markets, without restrictions," the notice says. Before any trade, though, everyone takes a test. "All investors, regardless of their status, will need to pass testing and familiarize themselves with the risks of investing in cryptoassets."

The move follows the central bank's earlier steps to open crypto to wealthy investors, and lands as Tether's role draws scrutiny—the stablecoin issuer has frozen millions in USDT tied to sanctioned Russian exchanges.

The Bank of Russia accepts comments until Aug. 24, and the directive takes effect 10 days after its official publication, signed by Governor Elvira Nabiullina.