Russia Greenlights USDT Despite Freeze Risk

Russia's central bank has designated Bitcoin (BTC), Ethereum (ETH), and Tether's USDT as approved cryptocurrencies for public circulation on domestic exchanges.

The inclusion of USDT exposes a paradox, as its built-in smart contract freeze function is the same mechanism that shut down Garantex, Russia's largest sanctioned crypto exchange in March 2025.

The formal designation was published by the Bank of Russia and marks the first concrete implementation action under Federal Law No. 282-FZ, signed by President Vladimir Putin on August 4, 2026.