Moscow Exchange plans to begin trading Bitcoin, Ether and Tether’s USDT on Dec. 1, describing the launch as Russia’s first organized digital currency market. Pilot trades are expected to start as participants join the platform.
Trading will run on the exchange’s existing stock-market infrastructure and be cleared through the National Clearing Center. The stated trading window is 6:50 a.m. to 11:50 p.m. Moscow time. Initial options will include same-day and next-day settlement, as well as swaps.
Non-qualified investors will have to pass a test before buying crypto. The exchange says they will also face an annual purchase limit of 300,000 rubles, or about $3,700, per broker.
The planned launch follows a Russian crypto law whose main provisions took effect on Sept. 1. The law allows regulated crypto trading but continues to prohibit cryptocurrency payments for goods and services in Russia.
The exchange and the National Clearing Center are subject to US sanctions imposed in June 2024. The UK also sanctioned the exchange that month, and the European Union added it to its sanctions list in July 2026.
Sergey Mendeleev, founder of cross-border payments platform Exved, told Cointelegraph he was doubtful the market would attract significant demand, questioning who would trade on a sanctioned exchange. He also warned that trading spreads could make the offering unattractive to non-qualified investors.
Mendeleev said the platform could potentially support cross-border payments if importers and exporters were able to trade crypto directly with one another. However, he questioned whether adding an intermediary would be competitive in a market where traders negotiate over small price differences.
Sources: Cointelegraph.