Russia Says Financial Institutions Can Offer Crypto-Linked Instruments to Qualified Investors

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By Camomile Shumba|Edited by Nikhilesh De

May 29, 2025, 7:02 p.m.

  • Qualified investors can tap crypto-linked financial instruments like derivatives, the Bank of Russia said.
  • Russia has also been exploring letting a limited amount of qualified investors trade crypto in an experimental regime.

The Bank of Russia said that financial institutions may offer crypto-linked instruments to qualified investors as the nation continues to explore crypto offerings.

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“Financial institutions may offer qualified investors financial derivatives, securities, and digital financial assets whose yields are linked to cryptocurrency prices,” the Bank of Russia said in a post on Wednesday.

Russia has softened its stance to crypto of late as the asset has continued to see new highs. Though the central bank has warned institutions and their clients against investing directly in crypto, it has proposed allowing a limited group of qualified investors to trade crypto in an experimental regime that would last three years — something it says the government is still considering.

The country’s finance ministry is set to unveil a crypto exchange for highly qualified investors according to reports, but no deadline has been indicated yet as discussions are still ongoing.

However, in the Wednesday post, the central bank also encouraged credit institutions to be careful when considering the risks of these instruments, ensuring they are fully covered with capital and individual limits are set on them.

“During the year, the Bank of Russia plans to formalise the conservative approach to the regulation of credit institutions’ risks associated with fluctuations in cryptocurrency prices,” the post said.

Camomile Shumba is a CoinDesk regulatory reporter based in the UK. Previously, Shumba interned at Business Insider and Bloomberg. Camomile has featured in Harpers Bazaar, Red, the BBC, Black Ballad, Journalism.co.uk, Cryptopolitan.com and South West Londoner.

Shumba studied politics, philosophy and economics as a combined degree at the University of East Anglia before doing a postgraduate degree in multimedia journalism. While she did her undergraduate degree she had an award-winning radio show on making a difference. She does not currently hold value in any digital currencies or projects.

Camomile Shumba

 

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