When the Russia crypto ban, a government policy restricting the use of cryptocurrency as payment while allowing ownership and mining under strict rules. Also known as crypto payment prohibition in Russia, it was never a full ban on crypto—it was a targeted move to control financial flows and protect the ruble. Most people think Russia outlawed Bitcoin and Ethereum entirely. That’s not true. In 2020, they started pushing for a ban on crypto payments. By 2024, they made it law: you can’t use Bitcoin to buy coffee, pay bills, or send money abroad through crypto. But you can still hold it, mine it, and trade it—just not as money.
The real story isn’t about banning tech. It’s about control. Russia wanted to stop citizens from bypassing Western sanctions using crypto. They also feared capital flight. So instead of stopping crypto outright, they created a gray zone. Mining? Allowed if you use your own power. Trading? Legal on domestic exchanges, but only if they’re registered with the central bank. Payments? Flat-out banned. This created a strange split: Russians hold billions in crypto, but can’t spend it legally. Meanwhile, crypto mining keeps growing in Siberia and the Far East, where electricity is cheap and oversight is thin. The crypto mining Russia, the practice of validating blockchain transactions using specialized hardware, often powered by surplus or subsidized energy became a quiet economic engine—especially after Ukraine’s war disrupted traditional energy exports. Some miners even sell their Bitcoin to fund local businesses, using peer-to-peer platforms to avoid banks.
And then there’s the crypto trading Russia, the legal activity of buying and selling digital assets on regulated domestic platforms, despite restrictions on using crypto as currency. Russian exchanges like RuDEX and CEX.IO adapted by becoming wallet providers, not payment processors. Users deposit rubles, buy Bitcoin, and hold it—never spending it directly. Some even use stablecoins like USDT to preserve value, then cash out through informal networks. It’s not perfect. The government keeps changing the rules. Fines for using crypto as payment can hit 200,000 rubles. But people keep doing it. Why? Because inflation is worse than regulation.
What you’ll find in the posts below isn’t just news. It’s the real-world result of a policy that didn’t work as planned. You’ll see how Russia’s ban compares to Iran’s energy-driven mining, how Bangladesh defies its own crypto ban with remittances, and why Kosovo had to backtrack after shutting down mining. These aren’t isolated cases. They’re proof that when governments try to stop crypto without understanding it, people find a way around. The Russia crypto ban didn’t kill crypto—it forced it underground, into smarter, quieter, and more resilient forms. What happens next? That’s what the articles here will show you.
Russia doesn't outright ban crypto exchanges - it picks which ones can operate based on compliance, ownership, and sanctions. Garantex is gone, but its ghost lives on. Binance can't work here. Here's what's really allowed.