Russia’s central bank to confirm BTC, ETH and USDT for local traders

Russia’s central bank confirmed that, under upcoming crypto legislation effective by July 1, 2026, non-qualified retail investors will be allowed to buy only three cryptocurrencies: Bitcoin (BTC), Ethereum (ETH) and Tether (USDT). The regulator also kept an annual retail purchase cap of 300,000 rubles (~$4,000) and said it does not plan to expand the approved list immediately. Admission to the regulated market requires strict criteria (avg market cap >5 trillion rubles, avg daily volume >1 trillion rubles, five years trading history), which will restrict eligible tokens to top liquidity names. Market impact: the rules concentrate retail demand into the largest crypto assets, limit broader retail adoption, and may boost onshore demand for BTC/ETH while keeping volatility/flow risks contained via the investment cap; future additions may prioritize domestic non-dollar stablecoins.