TL;DR:
- The Moscow Exchange (MOEX) set December 1, 2026, as the operational launch date to enable crypto asset trading.
- The initiative leverages existing exchange infrastructure and active licenses following the entry into force of sectoral legislation on September 1.
- The Bank of Russia capped purchases for non-qualified investors at 300,000 rubles per year per intermediary.
December 1, 2026, is the scheduled launch date for the Moscow Exchange (MOEX) to commence digital asset operations. The financial institution will implement its regulated cryptocurrency trading in Russia service utilizing its existing technical platform and operating under central bank supervision.
Boris Blokhin, Managing Director of Sales and Business Development at MOEX, confirmed the details in statements to local media on Thursday, October 8. Blokhin noted that the platform will conduct technical testing phases with professional operators leading up to the final launch deadline.
The exchange will not construct a standalone system to process these transactions. The institution stated that it will operate under its existing trade organizer license, bypassing the requirement to file for additional registration with banking authorities.
Settlement and custody of trades will require opening accounts with a registered digital depository. According to statements from MOEX spokespersons, this clearing framework aims to streamline operational integration for intermediaries already active in the traditional securities market.
Bank of Russia Regulatory Framework and Banking Trials
The move follows the entry into force of the comprehensive legal framework for digital assets on September 1. The legislation authorized the Bank of Russia to oversee custody, trading, and cross-border transfers through official registers of financial market infrastructure.
Commercial banking institutions simultaneously kicked off trial periods for retail services. Sberbank, the country’s largest lender, began operational testing on October 8 through its mobile application featuring Bitcoin (BTC), Ethereum (ETH), and the stablecoin Tether (USDT).
Sberbank’s pilot also covers the SberInvestments and SberBusiness platforms for corporate clients. Data from Bank of Russia registers show that the bank gained admission to the roster of authorized digital depositories on October 6, alongside state lender VTB.
The regulatory framework imposes quantitative caps on retail participants. Non-qualified investors will have access solely to a restricted lineup of liquid cryptocurrencies, subject to an annual purchase ceiling of 300,000 rubles through each authorized financial intermediary.
The final go-live for commercial trading platforms hinges on the central bank releasing the definitive list of permitted assets. Official documentation from the Bank of Russia indicates that supplementary technical requirements will be published incrementally before the testing phase concludes in November.
The next technical milestone for the Moscow Exchange involves completing cross-settlement dry runs between exchange operators and depositories ahead of December 1, 2026, when the onboarding of additional institutional participants will be evaluated.
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