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In Russia, individuals may face up to seven years in prison for unauthorized cryptocurrency exchanges., 2026/04/17 20:05:54
The State Duma has commenced the review of a legislative proposal concerning criminal cases related to illegal cryptocurrency exchange and trading.
The government has suggested an amendment to the Criminal Code that would introduce a provision stipulating that the organization of digital asset transactions outside the regulations outlined in the yet-to-be-adopted bill would incur fines of up to 1 million rubles and prison sentences of up to seven years.
The most severe penalties are designated for cryptocurrency transactions conducted by a “criminal group” or those causing significant harm. A significant amount is proposed to be defined as 13.5 million rubles. In addition to imprisonment and fines, such offenders may also face compulsory labor for up to five years.
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For substantial damage, defined as amounts starting from 3.5 million rubles, it is proposed to impose fines ranging from 100,000 to 300,000 rubles, compulsory labor for up to four years, or imprisonment for up to four years along with a fine of up to 80,000 rubles.
Even in cases where there is no damage to the state, organizations, or individual citizens, the article is still intended to be applied if the income from cryptocurrency transactions exceeds the aforementioned thresholds of 3.5 million rubles or 13.5 million rubles, respectively.
In the explanatory note to the bill, which was reviewed by TASS, the amendments to the Criminal Code are described as part of a “comprehensive regulation of the digital currency market aimed at ensuring transparency in the cryptocurrency sector.”
The government and the Central Bank propose that legal cryptocurrency transactions in Russia should be considered those conducted through specially established digital depositories and licensed exchanges with a limit on the amount in rubles. The Central Bank has acknowledged that it does not favor widespread cryptocurrency usage among Russian citizens.
