Russia to Limit Crypto Trading to Licensed Brokers, Cap Retail Buys at $3,700
Russian lawmakers have approved a draft set of crypto rules that routes trading through licensed brokers and imposes a retail purchase cap of about $3,700 per year. The proposal would curtail direct peer-to-peer and unregulated exchange activity, steering retail flow into supervised intermediaries and creating compliance obligations for platforms that serve Russian clients.
The move matters because it could sharply reduce retail participation and onshore liquidity while raising the cost of doing crypto business in Russia. Supporters frame the package as consumer protection and anti-money laundering tightening, but critics warn it may push trading offshore or into informal channels. Regulated brokers and incumbent exchanges stand to gain market share if the measures pass, while smaller platforms and P2P markets face heightened risk and operational strain.