Russia Approves Trading of Bitcoin, Ethereum and USDT—But No XRP
Russia’s central bank proposed a framework to let ordinary investors trade crypto on public markets under tight limits. Non-qualified investors could buy digital assets through brokers, exchanges, or managers, but only up to 300,000 rubles per year per intermediary. For public trading, only Bitcoin, Ethereum, and Tether’s USDT are currently approved. The central bank says eligibility depends on liquidity, market cap, trading volume, and at least five years of price history on foreign platforms, meant to shield retail investors from volatility. Qualified investors would have no such restrictions and could access all exchange- and OTC-traded cryptocurrencies. All investors must still pass a risk test. The proposal follows a recent digital-currency law and is open for comments until Aug. 24.
