Bank of Russia sets July 1, 2027 deadline for direct P2P crypto trades and bars self-custody transfers
Russia's central bank says direct peer-to-peer crypto trades between individuals end on July 1, 2027, and bars transfers from regulated digital accounts to self-custody wallets.
Why it matters
Informal peer-to-peer trading is a route for ruble-to-crypto conversion in Russia, and the July 2027 cutoff directs that activity toward licensed brokers and registered exchange operators, Sberbank among them. Cointelegraph and Crypto.News both carry industry executives who doubt authorities can police P2P deals or independently held wallets, and the sources do not agree on whether the cutoff removes only trades without an intermediary or all direct trading between individuals.
Where the sources disagree
Final permitted day for direct trading between individuals
July 1, 2027 is the last permitted day
Cointelegraph
June 30, 2027 is the final day
CoinGape, Crypto.News
Cointelegraph said such transactions remain permitted only until July 1, 2027, while Crypto.News and CoinGape set June 30, 2027 as the last day for that route.
Which banks hold crypto custody and exchange permissions
Sberbank and VTB
Crypto News (CryptoNews.net)
Sberbank only
Cointelegraph, Decrypt
Crypto News named Sberbank and VTB as authorised for custodial and exchange services, while Cointelegraph and Decrypt mentioned only Sberbank.
Where the P2P deadline was sourced
Reported by UNLOCK Blockchain and AMBCrypto
Bitcoin Insider
Bank of Russia guidance posted October 12
Crypto.News, Crypto.News, Decrypt
Bitcoin Insider cited UNLOCK Blockchain and AMBCrypto and wrote that the deadline was reported, while the other outlets attributed it to the Bank of Russia guidance of October 12.
Key facts
The Bank of Russia set July 1, 2027 as the date after which individuals may no longer trade cryptocurrency directly with each other outside authorized intermediaries.
Disputed figureReported by Cointelegraph
Bank of Russia guidance updated on October 12 states that individuals cannot transfer crypto from a regulated digital account to their own non-custodial wallet.
Reported by Cointelegraph
The deadline rests on Article 30 of Federal Law No. 282-FZ, which President Vladimir Putin signed on August 4 and which took effect on September 1, placing exchange operators and custodians under central bank oversight.
Disputed figureReported by Cointelegraph
Sberbank joined the Bank of Russia crypto exchange register on October 12 after earlier being approved as a digital asset custodian.
Reported by Cointelegraph
Sberbank and Moscow Exchange have said they will introduce cryptocurrency services on December 1.
Reported by Crypto.News
Non-qualified investors may buy up to 300,000 rubles of eligible cryptocurrencies a year through each intermediary.
300,000 RUBReported by Crypto.News
After the deadline residents keep access to crypto through licensed brokers and registered exchange operators, subject to investor eligibility rules and purchase limits.
Reported by Crypto.News
Industry executives have told outlets that restricting peer-to-peer trading and non-custodial wallets will be hard to enforce.
Reported by Cointelegraph
What happened
The Bank of Russia confirmed that individuals may trade cryptocurrency directly with each other only until July 1, 2027, and must from that date use licensed brokers or registered exchange operators. The central bank posted the clarification in guidance updated on October 12, based on Article 30 of Federal Law No. 282-FZ, which President Vladimir Putin signed on August 4 and which took effect on September 1, bringing exchange operators and custodians under central bank oversight. The same guidance bars individuals from moving crypto out of a regulated digital account into their own non-custodial wallet, and also blocks transfers between individuals using addresses run by regulated digital depositories. In the same week the central bank added Sberbank to its crypto exchange register after earlier approving it as a digital asset custodian, and Sberbank and Moscow Exchange have said they will introduce crypto services on December 1. Crypto News, an aggregator, wrote that Russia has banned direct peer-to-peer trading outright and treats July 1, 2027 as the end of a grace period, while the other outlets describe the ban as taking effect on that date; Cointelegraph phrases the limit as trading permitted 'only until July 1, 2027', and Crypto.News and CoinGape set June 30, 2027 as the final day. Cointelegraph and Crypto.News both carry industry executives questioning how authorities will enforce the rules, and Bitcoin Insider, citing UNLOCK Blockchain and AMBCrypto, reported that officials have linked informal trading to money laundering, tax evasion and sanctions circumvention, a claim no other outlet in the set repeats.
How the story developed
- Official statement
Bank of Russia updates guidance on P2P deadline and self-custody transfers
Guidance posted on the regulator's website on October 12.
- Update
Sberbank added to central bank crypto exchange register
Sberbank had already been approved as a digital asset custodian.
- First report
First report by Cointelegraph
Russia to ban direct peer-to-peer crypto trades starting July 2027
- Update
Cointelegraph reports the Bank of Russia P2P deadline
First report in the set, published October 15.
- Official statement
Russia's crypto rules take effect
The rules brought exchange operators and custodians under Bank of Russia oversight and mandated a crypto risk knowledge test.
- Resolution
Direct peer-to-peer crypto trades end between individuals
Residents must use licensed brokers or registered exchange operators from this date.
- Independent corroboration
Independently corroborated by Crypto.News
Russia to ban peer-to-peer crypto trades: What does it mean for traders?
- Official statement
President Vladimir Putin signs Federal Law No. 282-FZ
The law is titled On Digital Currencies and Digital Rights; Article 30 lists operations residents may carry out without a licensed intermediary.
How coverage built up
Independent sources over time, counted the way the consensus panel counts them: a republication of a wire story does not move the line.
- 15 Oct 2026, 14:22 UTC: Cointelegraph — 1 independent source, 1 reports
- 15 Oct 2026, 14:41 UTC: Crypto.News — 2 independent sources, 2 reports
- 15 Oct 2026, 17:08 UTC: The Defiant — 3 independent sources, 3 reports
- 15 Oct 2026, 18:40 UTC: CoinGape — 4 independent sources, 4 reports
- 15 Oct 2026, 20:31 UTC: Decrypt — 5 independent sources, 6 reports
- 16 Oct 2026, 02:31 UTC: Crypto News (CryptoNews.net) — 6 independent sources, 7 reports
- 18 Oct 2026, 12:00 UTC: Bitcoin.com News, official — 7 independent sources, 9 reports
Affected entities
Also mentioned: Ripple, Chainlink
Original sources
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