Russia moves to penalize ‘unfriendly’ Western crypto tokens with new fees

The Russian government is poised to introduce fees and trade restrictions on cryptocurrencies issued by companies based in Western jurisdictions, a move that could shift billions of dollars in annual trading volume away from international exchanges and into domestic state-owned platforms.

Russian Deputy Minister of Finance Ivan Chebeskov said that the new cryptocurrency bill will include “economic incentives, such as commissions or recommendations” to dissuade Russians from using tokens it views as “unfriendly,” namely those issued by entities that can lock up digital assets at the request of any foreign authority.

The bill is expected to pass the State Duma in June and take effect July 1, 2026.

Which cryptocurrencies does Russia consider ‘unfriendly’

Under the proposal, Russian citizens without qualified-investor status would be allowed to trade only three tokens: Bitcoin, Ethereum, and USDT. Dollar-backed stablecoins like USDC and Binance’s BNB are kept off the retail whitelist, treated as higher-risk because their issuers can freeze assets at the request of foreign authorities.

The rationale is straightforward. Tether, the issuer of USDT, has frozen funds at the request of law enforcement, including a $344 million freeze flagged by US authorities, Izvestia states. Circle, which issues USDC, holds the same power to freeze wallet addresses. Binance has already banned Russian users from its service.

USDT carries that same freeze risk, and according to Chebeskov, regulators were initially ready to prohibit it entirely. When the industry pushed back, they kept access open while adding protections.

How Russia plans to discourage use of foreign tokens

There is no official fee yet for using foreign tokens. According to Freedom Global analyst Vladimir Chernov, it could range between 0.5% and 2% for unfriendly tokens and up to 3% for unfriendly stablecoins. Chernov warned that excessively high fees might drive people toward illegal transactions.

Beyond fees, the bill is also likely to introduce mandatory investor tests, annual transaction-volume limits, a cool-down period for withdrawals, and restrictions on transferring assets to other wallets, according to Denis Astafyev, founder of the SharesPro fintech platform.

How new Russian regulations could reshape cross-border crypto trading

The stakes extend well beyond Russia’s borders. Chainalysis estimated that Russia received roughly $376 billion in crypto transactions between July 2024 and June 2025, the largest volume recorded across Europe, according to Cryptopolitan’s earlier reporting.

Legal expert Yuriy Brisov told DL News that Russian traders pay an estimated $15 billion annually in fees to overseas crypto exchanges, revenue Moscow now wants routed to domestic licensed platforms.

Russia’s broader regulatory push targets a July 1 start for mandatory exchange licensing. Foreign platforms without a Russian operating permit and physical offices could be blocked entirely, with Roskomnadzor reportedly preparing DNS-level filtering tools similar to those used against YouTube, according to DL News.

For international platforms, it comes down to two choices: follow the licensing rules Russia sets out, or lose access to the millions of Russians who use cryptocurrency. Binance, which has scaled down its Russian services, and HTX, recently sanctioned by the UK, face the most direct pressure.

How Russia’s crypto framework differentiates retail and institutional investors

The bill will divide crypto access in Russia between retail and institutional investors. Retail investors must follow an annual investment cap of 300,000 rubles (about $4,080), pass a test, and stay within the small whitelist of approved tokens. Professional and institutional investors would retain broader access.

According to TradingView, Russia’s Central Bank First Deputy Governor Vladimir Chistyukhin said there were no immediate plans to expand the retail list beyond Bitcoin, Ethereum, and USDT. Stablecoins linked to the ruble will take precedence over foreign ones.

How UK and US sanctions complicate Russia’s crypto strategy

The timing coincides with intensifying Western pressure on Russian crypto infrastructure. Britain sanctioned 18 entities in May, including HTX, for allegedly supporting Russia’s “shadow financial systems,” according to Reuters.

The US-sanctioned Grinex exchange, linked to a ruble-backed stablecoin called A7A5, suspended operations in April after a cyberattack that cost it 1 billion rubles ($13.1 million).

Russia’s domestic crypto investment market remains small in relative terms. The Financial Stability Report from Russia’s Central Bank, released June 1, estimated retail crypto investments at 3.8 billion rubles, roughly $44 million, essentially unchanged from six months earlier, Cryptopolitan reported.

The gap between $376 billion in transaction flow and $44 million in domestic investment underscores that Russia’s crypto significance lies in cross-border volume, not retail portfolios. That volume is what global exchanges stand to lose.

The smartest crypto minds already read our newsletter. Want in? Join them.