Russia's Central Bank approved the first licensed digital depositories and crypto exchanges to operate in its financial system.
Regulation & Gov ·
Russia's Central Bank has approved the first licensed digital depositories and crypto exchanges to begin operating within its regulated financial system. The registry of digital depositories now includes 5 organizations, while the registry of digital currency exchange operators includes 4. These entities received authorization under transitional provisions of the digital currencies and digital rights law, which took effect on September 1, 2026.
The approved digital depositories are permitted to provide custody and transfer services for digital assets, as well as grant clients access to the identifier addresses where those assets are held. Crypto exchanges may buy and sell digital currencies on their own account and outside of organized trading venues. From their registration date, both types of operators must comply with transaction recording and reporting rules for digital assets, with a deadline of September 1, 2027 to fully align their operations with applicable legislation.
The admission of these first market participants represents an initial step toward establishing Russia's regulated infrastructure for digital asset trading. Whether additional entities will enter the registries and how market participants will meet the 2027 compliance deadline remain to be seen.