Russia Plans Major Crypto Policy Push for 2026

• Russia plans major digital asset and crypto policy push for 2026.
• Central Bank ready to ease cryptocurrency regulations and classify stablecoins.
• Lawmakers target DFA market expansion and mortgage-backed digital assets.

Russia has announced plans for major crypto and digital financial asset policy development in 2026. Anatoly Aksakov, head of the State Duma Committee on Financial Markets, stated lawmakers will focus on the digital financial asset market, cryptocurrencies, and stablecoins next year.

Aksakov made the announcement while summarizing the financial market discussion at the 11th Banking Law Conference. Digital finance will be one of the most important topics in 2026, along with Islamic banking and fraud prevention.

Legislators will prioritize creating a legal framework in these areas according to Aksakov. The Bank of Russia has already announced its readiness to introduce new crypto regulations.

Russia crypto regulations face easing in 2026

Vladimir Chistyukhin, First Deputy Chairman of the Central Bank, stated this week that the regulator is considering easing cryptocurrency regulations. The Central Bank will discuss with the Ministry of Finance the classification of stablecoins as a separate asset category.

Russia banned the use of crypto as payment for goods and services when it legalized cryptocurrency ownership and trading in 2020. The country has maintained this restriction while allowing mining and cross-border crypto payments.

The stablecoin classification discussion signals potential new regulatory frameworks for different types of digital assets. Separating stablecoins from other cryptocurrencies could allow for different treatment under Russian law.

Tax equalization targets DFA market growth

Aksakov announced plans to equalize tax treatment for digital financial asset debt and traditional bonds starting next year. He stated this will help the digital financial asset market expand exponentially.

The tax equalization removes a competitive disadvantage for digital financial assets compared to conventional bonds. Current tax structures create different treatment for functionally similar instruments.

Russia has been building its digital financial asset framework since 2020. The country recognized cryptocurrencies under a law on Digital Financial Assets that year.

Mortgage-backed digital assets bill submitted

On December 3, Aksakov announced that a bill had been submitted to the State Duma regulating the issuance of digital financial assets secured by mortgages. The bill will expand the use of digital assets and the number of financing methods according to the lawmaker.

“This will open up opportunities for integrating digital financial assets with the housing market and other assets, strengthening the role of digital investment finance as an alternative to bank lending and traditional bonds,” Aksakov stated.

The mortgage-backed digital asset framework creates new securitization options in Russia. Housing finance could be conducted through tokenized instruments rather than traditional mortgage-backed securities.

Russia reversed crypto stance after sanctions

Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 and subsequent Western sanctions fundamentally altered the country’s crypto policies. Approximately $300 billion of Russia’s foreign reserves was frozen, and the country was expelled from the SWIFT international payment system.

The government executed a policy reversal on crypto. In March 2024, President Vladimir Putin signed legislation allowing digital financial assets for payment in international trade.

By July 2024, Russia’s State Duma had passed legislation legalizing cryptocurrency mining effective November 1, 2024. The law established an experimental regime allowing authorized companies to conduct cross-border settlements in digital currency starting September 1, 2024.

Finance Minister Anton Siluanov confirmed in December 2024 that Russian companies were actively using Bitcoin for international payments under the new legal framework.

In November 2024, Putin signed a crypto tax law that took effect January 1, 2025. The legislation classified digital currencies as property and imposed personal income tax of 13-15% on cryptocurrency sales.