Russia keeps crypto out of payments, but gradually expands its legal status

Russian authorities have once again drawn a firm line on cryptocurrency as a means of payment, while simultaneously acknowledging its growing role in the country’s legal and financial landscape.

Lawmakers stressed that digital currencies will not be treated as money under Russian law. Domestic transactions, they say, must continue to be settled exclusively in rubles, reinforcing the central bank’s long-standing opposition to using crypto for everyday payments.

Anatoly Aksakov, who heads the State Duma’s Committee on the Financial Market, reiterated that position, emphasizing that internal settlements using cryptocurrencies remain prohibited. According to Aksakov, maintaining the ruble as the sole legal tender is a non-negotiable pillar of Russia’s financial system.

At the same time, new legislative initiatives suggest a more flexible approach when it comes to crypto’s legal recognition outside of payments. One proposal, introduced by United Russia lawmaker Igor Antropenko, would classify cryptocurrencies as marital property. Under the bill, digital assets acquired during a marriage would be treated as jointly owned and subject to division in divorce cases.

This move reflects the reality that cryptocurrencies are increasingly used by Russians as investment and savings instruments, even if they are barred from everyday commerce. It also signals an effort to bring family law into alignment with broader regulatory developments, including experimental frameworks that allow crypto to be used in certain foreign trade transactions.

Taken together, these developments show Russia attempting to balance strict monetary control with the practical need to regulate digital assets that are already widely held by the public—rejecting crypto as money, but steadily integrating it into the legal system.