Key takeaways
Moscow Exchange plans to open bitcoin trading in December 2026, with professional market participants already testing operations. The launch will bring cryptocurrency trading onto Russia’s biggest exchange under a regulatory framework that allows investment but keeps domestic crypto payments banned.
Key takeaways
Moscow Exchange is testing crypto operations ahead of its December launch.
Sberbank has received Russia’s first bank approval for bitcoin custody.
According to Bitcoin Magazine, Boris Blokhin, Moscow Exchange’s senior managing director for sales and business development, said testing had started a week before his remarks to journalists at the Sber Investments forum. Interfax reported his comments.
Moscow Exchange prepares bitcoin trading for December
Moscow Exchange’s bitcoin trading rollout is planned for December 1, 2026, Crypto Briefing reported, citing an Interfax report published on October 8, 2026. Blokhin said the exchange needs no additional permits or licenses to begin trading.
Participants will open accounts with a partner digital depository that will handle settlement. Testing is taking place with professional market participants ahead of the planned opening.
Russia’s digital currency framework preserves payment restrictions
Russia’s law governing digital currencies and digital rights took effect on September 1, 2026. It permits cryptocurrency transactions through existing financial infrastructure, including exchanges, brokers and trust managers, while introducing crypto exchangers and depositories that record asset ownership.
President Vladimir Putin also signed legislation in October 2026 formalizing regulation of digital currencies and digital rights. Using cryptocurrency for domestic payments has been illegal since 2022.
That domestic restriction does not cover every payment use. According to Crypto Briefing, the Bank of Russia has stated that exporters and importers are permitted to use digital assets for cross-border payments, either via intermediaries or directly from their wallets.
Sberbank’s role in crypto custody
Sberbank, Russia’s largest bank, became the first Russian bank approved to hold bitcoin and other digital currencies in custody. It announced that approval in September 2026.
The Bank of Russia authorized digital currency record-keeping and asset transfers, covering bitcoin and other, smaller cryptocurrencies. That approval gives the bank a role in recording and moving clients’ digital assets within the regulated system.
Market access differs by investor qualification
Interfax notes that non-qualified investors are restricted to purchasing Bitcoin, Ethereum and Tether USDT, with a cap of 300,000 rubles per year when going through a single intermediary, and CoinDesk similarly states that such purchases of bitcoin and stablecoins are limited to 300,000 rubles ($3,556) a year through one intermediary. In contrast, qualified investors are not subject to any purchase limit when acquiring cryptocurrencies on exchanges or over-the-counter markets.
Crypto Briefing reported that both investor groups must pass a test before trading. Moscow Exchange’s planned bitcoin trading launch therefore sits within rules that distinguish access by investor qualification.
Article produced with the assistance of artificial intelligence and reviewed by the editorial team.