The Central Bank of Russia has allowed the citizens of the country to invest in products linked to cryptocurrencies. However, a restriction has been imposed: only qualified investors, that is, those who have a net worth of over 1 million dollars, will be able to acquire crypto assets.

Another restriction is that banks will only be able to offer products linked to the price of cryptocurrencies. This means that investors will be able to expose themselves to the price of these assets, but they will not be able to own the cryptocurrencies or withdraw them to external wallets.

Despite these restrictions, this measure represents an opening of Russia to the digital assets market. The country recognized the possession of digital assets in 2024, but the authorities were still reluctant to allow investments in this market. Interestingly, the government of Vladimir Putin has used cryptocurrencies to circumvent the sanctions imposed since the beginning of the war in Ukraine.