Russia central bank approves retail trading of bitcoin, ether and USDT
The Bank of Russia has formally sanctioned retail access to cryptocurrency trading through licensed exchanges, following earlier plans announced by the Moscow Exchange.
Key takeaways
- 1Russia's central bank officially approved retail trading of bitcoin, ether, and USDT on 6 November 2026.
- 2Moscow Exchange previously set a 1 December launch date with a 300,000 ruble ($3,700) annual limit for non-qualified investors.
Russia's central bank has officially approved retail trading for bitcoin, ether, and tether (USDT), Watcher Guru reported on 6 November. The official decision clears the path for individual investors in Russia to buy and sell the three digital tokens through domestic financial platforms.
The regulator's approval explicitly targets retail participants, allowing retail investors to access spot trading in the selected cryptocurrencies. Watcher Guru reported that the central bank sanctioned trading specifically for bitcoin, ether, and USDT, establishing an official framework for retail crypto investments.
The approval follows earlier reporting by YourKhabri on 3 November that the Moscow Exchange plans to launch bitcoin, ether, and USDT trading on 1 December 2026. Under those exchange rules, non-qualified retail investors face an annual investment limit of 300,000 rubles, equivalent to about $3,700, per broker. All trades on the exchange will be cleared through the National Clearing Center with same-day and next-day settlement options. Bitcoin traded at $75,887 with a market capitalisation of $1,525.7 billion on 6 November.
The decision signals an official shift toward bringing cryptocurrency trading under domestic oversight rather than maintaining outright retail bans. Traders and financial institutions will watch for the formal launch of trading on 1 December and whether further guidelines emerge for Russian brokers handling retail crypto order flow.
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Reported and edited by the YourKhabri desk under our editorial policy. Nothing here is investment advice.