Russia Approves Bill to Regulate Major Cryptocurrencies Including Bitcoin, Ethereum, and Solana

ChainCatcher report, according to Cryptopolitan, Russia’s Legislative Activity Committee has approved a bill regulating cryptocurrency trading, allowing the country’s crypto exchanges to list digital assets with the highest market capitalization and trading volume. Under the bill, approved cryptocurrencies must meet the following criteria: an average market capitalization of over 5 trillion rubles (approximately $60 billion) over the past two years, an average daily trading volume of at least 1 trillion rubles (approximately $12 billion), and a minimum of five years of trading history. Major cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin, Ethereum, and Solana meet these standards. The bill grants the Central Bank of Russia the authority to determine the official list of allowable digital assets and empowers financial intelligence agencies to blacklist specific cryptocurrencies—privacy coins will be prohibited from trading. Cryptocurrencies and stablecoins are classified as “monetary assets,” and annual investment limits for ordinary Russian citizens are capped at $4,000. The bill also stipulates that non-compliant crypto exchanges may face fines of up to 1 million rubles, illegal mining operations may be fined up to 2.5 million rubles, and large-scale illegal mining could result in imprisonment of up to five years.