Bank of Russia Cracks Down on Crypto Wallets Linked to Suspected Scams
The Bank of Russia has added over 2,600 cryptocurrency wallets to its monitoring system after identifying them as linked to suspected illegal financial activity. The move comes after more than 1 billion rubles in crypto flowed into these addresses during the first half of 2026.
According to the central bank, more than 74% of identified pyramid schemes used cryptocurrencies to attract funds, with scammers promoting investments in crypto mining and fake data centers. The regulator also detected fake Kanye West ticket websites seeking crypto payments from Russian users.
The Bank of Russia uses this system to send information on suspected illegal financial activity to law enforcement agencies and other authorized bodies. During the same six-month period, the regulator identified 2,891 entities with signs of illegal financial activity, down nearly 31% from the first half of 2025.