- Russia’s Finance Ministry and Central Bank will jointly launch a crypto exchange for highly qualified investors under strict regulations.
- Access to the platform will be limited to individuals with ₽100M in investments or ₽50M annual income, pending review of criteria.
- The initiative aims to legalize crypto operations and transition existing activities under the experimental legal regime into a formal structure.
Russia is preparing to launch a government-backed cryptocurrency exchange exclusively for “super-qualified investors.” The initiative is a joint effort by the Ministry of Finance and the Bank of Russia and aims to formalize digital asset trading within a legal regulatory framework as reported by RBC News,
Exchange to Operate Under Strict Eligibility Criteria
Finance Minister Anton Siluanov announced the new development during a recent Ministry of Finance board meeting. “Together with the Central Bank, we will launch a crypto exchange for super-qualified investors,” he stated. The exchange will offer a legal space for trading crypto assets and bring transparency to operations that were previously conducted outside regulated financial systems.
Siluanov emphasized the need for regulation: “There will be a legalization of crypto assets, a withdrawal from the shadows of operations in crypto.” He further clarified that the exchange would only support transactions previously carried out under an experimental legal regime, saying, “Naturally, not within our country, but those operations that have been carried out today within the framework of the experimental legal regime.”
The Central Bank had earlier proposed strict requirements to qualify for participation. To obtain “super-qualified investor” status, individuals must either hold over ₽100 million in investments or have earned more than ₽50 million in the previous year. The Ministry of Finance also acknowledged that these requirements may be subject to change, allowing for possible adjustments in the investor criteria as the platform develops.
Step Toward Structured Crypto Trading
The current regulation allows two possibilities: building an entirely new crypto exchange or enabling crypto trading through an already existing financial platform. Based on Siluanov’s remarks, the authorities are moving toward creating a new exchange from scratch under full government oversight.
By focusing on high-net-worth investors, the initiative seeks to minimize financial risk while bringing large-scale crypto activities under regulatory control. The project reflects a measured approach, balancing innovation in digital finance with the stability of traditional market governance. The planned exchange marks a formal step forward in Russia’s efforts to structure and oversee crypto asset trading in a legally recognized format.
