Russia will now allow cryptocurrency to be used in foreign trade settlements, creating a legal pathway for cross-border payments that bypass traditional banking restrictions.
The Ministry of Finance and Central Bank formalized the move, building on an experimental legal regime (ELR) launched in September that permitted pilot transactions using crypto for international deals.
The new framework is designed solely for foreign trade, with domestic payments still banned to protect the ruble and maintain financial stability. All transactions must pass through a regulated infrastructure supervised by the Central Bank, and companies will be subject to strict Anti-Money Laundering (AML) and Know-Your-Customer (KYC) rules enforced by the Federal Financial Monitoring Service.
