The Central Bank: Crypto exchangers in Russia may be classified as a separate category

The Central Bank of Russia is considering creating a separate category for crypto exchanges and licensing them. Vladimir Chistyukhin, First Deputy Chairman of the Central Bank, announced this in an interview with RIA Novosti. He noted that the country already has the necessary infrastructure for working with cryptocurrency, and transactions will be carried out through existing market participants under existing licenses.

Possibility of a New License

"We need to consider whether we (the Central Bank) will introduce a separate category of crypto exchanges," Chistyukhin said. He added that this category may require a new license, but this issue remains to be discussed. This underscores the regulator's readiness to take a more detailed approach to regulating the cryptocurrency market.

Discussions with Other Agencies

The Central Bank is actively discussing proposals for regulating cryptocurrency with the Ministry of Finance, the Federal Financial Monitoring Service, and other government agencies. Chistyukhin also noted that the issue of cryptocurrency regulation is receiving significant international attention, primarily from the Financial Action Task Force (FATF).

Direct Regulation of the Crypto Market

In 2026, the Bank of Russia plans to introduce direct regulation of the crypto market. All qualified investors, not just "highly qualified" ones, will have access to cryptocurrency transactions. This change could significantly expand the scope of market participants and increase its transparency.

Therefore, the Bank of Russia continues to develop its cryptocurrency regulation strategy, striving to create a safe and transparent environment for all market participants.