Russia’s central bank does not rule out crypto investments with focus on risk evaluation

While Russia’s central bank maintains its stance against crypto as a payment method, recent signals suggest a reconsideration of its stance regarding crypto investments.

The Bank of Russia remains steadfast in its position against cryptocurrencies as legal tender within the nation. However, recent remarks by Olga Polyakova, the deputy governor of the regulatory body, suggest a potential shift in its stance regarding crypto investments.

Speaking at a forum, Polyakova reiterated the central bank’s standpoint on crypto payments while introducing a new perspective, according to Russia’s government news agency TASS.

“We do not view cryptocurrencies as legal tender within the territory of the Russian Federation. While investment is possible, there arises the question of the investor’s ability to adequately assess the risks involved.”

Olga Polyakova

This appears to be the first time Russia’s central bank publicly admitted that crypto investments with appropriate due diligence might be legalized, given that the Bank of Russia has consistently emphasized the high risks inherent in engaging with the crypto market.

The recent statement follows shortly after the central bank’s revelation that nearly half of the financial fraud schemes in Russia in 2023 involved crypto and foreign currencies for transactions. Among the 5,735 scams reported, 2,944 were linked to financial pyramid schemes, up from 2,017 in 2022. Data indicates that around 1,500 fraudulent schemes, comprising 26% of the total, utilized crypto for donations, exploiting blockchain’s anonymity feature.