Russia Legalizes Crypto Trading, Eyes $46.4 Billion in First-Year Volume

Russia has officially legalized cryptocurrency trading within a regulatory framework, with the first-year formal-market volume forecast to reach at least 4 trillion rubles (approximately $46.4 billion). The Central Bank of Russia introduced rules allowing investors to legally buy and sell cryptocurrencies through authorized intermediaries.

The new regulations are expected to draw around 20% of Russia's annual cryptocurrency trading volume into the regulated market in the first year, with total projected growth reaching about 7.5 trillion rubles ($87.1 billion) by 2029, according to SberCIB Investment Research.

Investment limits have been imposed on both non-qualified and qualified investors, with restrictions also placed on the range of tradable cryptocurrencies to Bitcoin (BTC), Ether (ETH), and Tether (USDT).