Russia's Compliant Crypto Trading Expected to Reach $46.43 Billion in First Year

Anatoly Popov, Deputy Chairman of the Executive Board at Sberbank, Russia's largest bank, stated that the volume of compliant crypto trading in Russia is expected to reach at least 4 trillion rubles, approximately $46.43 billion, in its first year. The bank projects that this figure will grow to about 7.5 trillion rubles, roughly $87.06 billion, by 2029 as investors shift toward the official trading system. He noted that the majority of crypto trading volume will still flow outside the regulated exchange system, with about 20% of the first-year volume—amounting to 3.5 trillion to 4 trillion rubles annually—expected to be executed through exchanges. The new framework takes effect on September 1, allowing investors to legally purchase crypto assets through brokers. Non-qualified investors can buy up to 300,000 rubles of crypto assets annually through a single licensed intermediary, subject to passing a risk awareness test, while qualified investors face a cap of 3 million rubles. Official exchanges will initially only support trading in Bitcoin, Ethereum, and USDT, with other altcoins excluded; exchanges must complete registration by July 1, 2027.