Russia Brings Crypto Market Into AML Regime as Digital Currency Laws Take Effect

Russia’s new digital-currency regulatory framework entered its main implementation phase on 1 September 2026, bringing crypto-market intermediaries directly into the country’s anti-money laundering and counter-terrorist financing system.

Rosfinmonitoring said Federal Laws No. 282-FZ and No. 283-FZ establish comprehensive rules for the circulation of digital currencies and digital rights and amend Federal Law No. 115-FZ on anti-money laundering and terrorist financing. The laws were signed on 4 August and, except for provisions with separate transition dates, take effect from 1 September.

Crypto intermediaries become AML reporting entities

According to Rosfinmonitoring, all persons supporting the circulation of digital currencies and digital rights are now incorporated into the AML framework. Their obligations include identifying customers, keeping customer information updated, applying asset-freezing or blocking measures where required, and providing information to Rosfinmonitoring both proactively and in response to requests.

The framework also requires information on the sender and recipient to accompany transactions involving digital currencies and digital rights. Rosfinmonitoring said the legislation is intended to address risks created by previously insufficient control over cryptocurrency circulation and to align the Russian framework more closely with international AML standards.

Registration, transaction analysis and recordkeeping

Federal Law No. 282-FZ creates regulated categories including digital-currency exchange organisations and digital depositories, with admission and supervision assigned to the Bank of Russia. The law also establishes a framework for “digital analysis” of cryptocurrency and digital-rights transactions, including the possible use of specialist analytics providers.

Exchange organisations, digital depositories, brokers and trading organisers are required to retain information on digital-currency transactions and related activity in Russia for five years. The law also requires relevant intermediaries to provide transaction and counterparty information to Rosfinmonitoring and other authorised state bodies when legally requested.

Banks must also refuse certain transfers when they suspect the recipient is operating an unauthorised digital-currency circulation business. The Bank of Russia has begun issuing implementing rules for the new regime, including requirements for digital-currency exchange organisations and digital depositories, while some registration and market-access provisions have later transition dates.

The practical significance is that Russia is moving crypto activity from a partially regulated environment into a formal supervisory and AML architecture. For market participants, the immediate compliance focus shifts to customer identification, transaction traceability, suspicious-activity reporting, sanctions or asset-freezing controls, and readiness for Bank of Russia registration and supervision.