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- Farms and detentions: in the Russian Federation they will begin to fine for the sale of crypts in excess of 300 thousand
Farms and detentions: in the Russian Federation they will begin to fine for the sale of crypts in excess of 300 thousand
Russia plans to legalize the turnover of cryptocurrencies with the simultaneous introduction of harsh sanctions for violations, up to criminal liability, Izvestia found out. Crypto exchanges will be required to check the status of investors: the sale of digital currencies to "non-dealers" in the amount of over 300 thousand rubles will entail heavy fines. The government has approved a package of bills aimed at legalizing digital assets, while monitoring all market participants, including miners, will be strengthened — they face up to five years in prison for illegal mining of digital currency. How harsh measures will affect the development of the nascent cryptoindustry of the Russian Federation — in the material of Izvestia.
The government has approved a package of bills on cryptocurrencies
The government has approved a number of bills aimed at removing the crypto market from the "gray zone," a source in the cabinet told Izvestia. They were reviewed by the Legal commission on legislative activity on March 23.
According to the draft laws, it will be possible to buy and sell cryptocurrencies only through authorized intermediaries. For unqualified investors, a limit of 300 thousand rubles is introduced and mandatory testing before purchase. Qualified people will be able to purchase any digital assets without restrictions.
A qualified investor in Russia is an individual or an organization with access to more complex and risky financial instruments. To obtain the status, you must meet at least one of the criteria: high annual income (from 12 million rubles on average over two years), significant assets (from 24 million rubles), economic education, experience working with financial instruments, or transaction turnover of more than 6 million rubles over the past year. Without this status, it is impossible to invest in complex bonds, futures and options.
After the bill is passed, crypto exchanges will have to clarify the investor's status during operations. If the company sells digital assets over the 300,000 limit to an unqualified investor, it will face a fine of 700,000 to 1 million rubles.
—The status check will follow the same principles as on the stock market — through the registers of the Central Bank," explained Denis Astafyev, founder of the SharesPro fintech platform.
In addition, "digital control" is being introduced: cryptocurrency transactions will be checked for links to illegal activities, added Vladimir Gruzdev, Chairman of the Board of the Russian Bar Association. A mechanism is also being established to protect citizens from fraud. If transactions are suspected, funds can be returned without the client's voluntary consent.
Uncoordinated mining will now be severely punished: for illegal mining of cryptocurrencies by an organized group or with damage of more than 13 million rubles, up to five years in prison or a fine of 500 thousand to 2.5 million rubles will be threatened. If the damage is less than 13 million, the fine will be up to 1.5 million.
At the same time, individuals can avoid punishment if they compensate for the damage caused, Vladimir Gruzdev noted. At the same time, individuals can avoid punishment if they compensate for the damage caused, Vladimir Gruzdev noted. Currently, about 1.5 thousand miners are registered in the register of the Federal Tax Service, although in fact there may be about 50 thousand of them. The introduction of criminal liability is aimed at ensuring that market participants register and operate legally.
These measures are included in the package of bills on the legalization of cryptocurrencies in the Russian Federation. The main goals are to legalize mining and turnover of digital assets under state control, protect the rights of investors and ensure compliance with currency legislation. At the same time, the ban on using cryptocurrencies as a means of payment within the country remains in place. Basic regulation under the draft law "On Digital Currency and Digital Rights" is planned from July 2026, according to the text of the initiative (Izvestia has it).
Why are they Tightening Control over the crypto market
The sharp increase in illegal mining has become one of the reasons for the harsh measures, Denis Astafyev pointed out. By the end of 2025, the number of such farms reached almost 197,000, an increase of 44% per year. A significant part of them operate outside the legal framework, putting a strain on the energy system.
The initiative will tighten responsibility for illegal mining, but will reduce abuse and bring the crypto market out of the shadows, said Andrei Loboda, a member of the Finance and Investment Committee of the Russian Chamber of Commerce and Industry. At the same time, it is important to maintain a balance so that regulation does not lead to a monopoly of banks and intermediaries, otherwise it will limit the development and efficiency of the industry.
The new measures will lead to a clean-up of the sector and a reduction in the number of players, warned Dmitry Lesnov, Deputy General Director for brokerage at Finam. According to him, some exchangers will close, and many miners will leave the market due to the risk of administrative and criminal prosecution.
Currently, crypto exchanges are actually operating in a gray area, Denis Astafyev noted. Transactions are not formally prohibited, but the business does not have a legal status.
There are regular raids on crypto exchanges in Russia, especially in Moscow. So, in 2024-2025, security forces conducted raids in Moscow City with the seizure of equipment and large amounts of cash, and some sites temporarily stopped working. The investigation usually imputes illegal banking activities to such services, cashing out funds, withdrawing money abroad and participating in income laundering schemes. A number of cases involve charges of organizing a criminal community and working with cybercriminals who use exchangers to legalize funds.
Now the sector is planned to be withdrawn from the gray zone. After the introduction of liability, illegal participants will either have to obtain a license or leave the market, Denis Astafyev summed up.
The "whitewashing" of the industry as a whole is positive, said Dmitry Lesnov from Finam. According to him, Russians currently do not have simple legal ways to work with digital currencies, so many use foreign platforms and face account locks. At the same time, about 15% of the broker's clients are already considering investments in crypto, and the limit of 300 thousand rubles is comparable to the average opportunities of unqualified investors.
Nevertheless, access to the market will be significantly limited due to the upper limit of investments in the crypt, says Denis Astafyev from SharesPro. Qualified investors with assets starting from 24 million rubles will be able to buy any cryptocurrencies without restrictions, but there are only about 920 thousand of them in the Russian Federation, while 7-10 million Russians use digital assets.
Strict regulation is perceived negatively by the market and can slow down the development of the industry, said Natalia Milchakova, a leading analyst at Freedom Finance Global. Participants will be forced to step up checks and incur additional costs, which will then be passed on to customers, the expert added. This will lead to an increase in fees and may push some transactions back into the shadows, which contradicts the goal of making the market transparent.
Restrictions will narrow the circle of investors and may lead to monopolization of the market, she said. In her opinion, it is important to create a stable infrastructure first, and only then impose tough sanctions, otherwise the market will remain narrow and less accessible to private investors.
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