Russia

Russia's largest private lender, Alfa-Bank, plans to launch Bitcoin and crypto trading, custody, and a digital depository once new regulations take effect, joining a broader push by major Russian banks to enter the country's emerging crypto market by late 2026 or 2027.

Russia's biggest bank, Sberbank, plans to launch a Bitcoin and crypto wallet plus digital asset custody by December as the country rolls out its new crypto framework.

The United Kingdom introduced new sanctions targeting Russian financial networks using crypto and offshore channels to evade post-Ukraine invasion restrictions.

Sberbank will provide access to crypto trading once regulation and organized exchange trading begin, Senior Vice President Ruslan Vesterovsky said.

Russia’s State Duma advanced a sweeping bill to regulate digital currencies, marking a major step toward formal oversight of the country’s crypto market.

Russia’s central bank is weighing a plan that would allow banks and brokerage firms to operate cryptocurrency exchanges.

The U.S. Treasury sanctioned a Russian network for buying stolen government cyber tools with crypto and reselling them, the first action under the Protecting American Intellectual Property Act.

Russia wants to introduce its first regulatory framework for crypto like Bitcoin, with lawmakers aiming to finalize the draft for a parliamentary vote by the end of June.

Russia is preparing a bill to allow everyday investors limited access to cryptocurrency, normalizing its use while capping retail participation at roughly $3,800.

Russia is planning criminal penalties, including forced labor, to curb widespread unregistered bitcoin mining after legalization.