Russia Opens Bitcoin Trading, but Its Biggest Exchange Is Under US Sanctions - BeInCrypto
Russia’s central bank will allow crypto exchanges to trade Bitcoin from November 22, 2026, but the country’s biggest exchange, the Moscow Exchange, remains on a US sanctions list.
The Bank of Russia announced that crypto exchanges may begin offering cryptocurrency trading from November 22, 2026, provided they first agree on trading rules and obtain prior approval.
The new regulations, established under Russia’s crypto law, limit the menu to Bitcoin (BTC), Ethereum (ETH), and USDT, with a market value requirement of about $60 billion over two years.
Ordinary buyers can spend 300,000 rubles, approximately $3,630, a year and must pass a test before trading.
Major Russian lenders VTB plans to open this month, while Sberbank and the Moscow Exchange aim for December 1, Interfax reported.
Sanctions and Risks
The US Treasury sanctioned the Moscow Exchange and its clearing house in June 2024, while Sberbank has faced full US sanctions since April 2022.
Traders fear the sanctions label could push Moscow prices below global ones, as the Moscow Exchange’s crypto trades will clear through the same clearing house America has blacklisted.
“Tether’s ability to track transactions and freeze USDt linked to illicit activity sets it apart…”
Petr Fradkov, who chairs lender PSB, warned in August that Tether can block tokens at any address.
In March 2025, Tether froze $23 million tied to Garantex, a sanctioned Russian exchange, while helping the US Secret Service.
The exits abroad keep closing, with KuCoin becoming the third major exchange to restrict users in Russia and Belarus within two weeks.
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