MOSCOW — Moscow Exchange plans to begin trading Bitcoin, Ether and Tether’s USDT on December 1, 2026, extending Russia’s largest securities exchange into direct cryptocurrency transactions under the country’s new digital-asset rules. The target remains a planned pilot launch rather than an operating service.
Boris Blokhin, the exchange’s senior managing director for sales and business development, reaffirmed the date at an October 31 Smart-Lab conference in Moscow, according to RBC Investments. Professional market participants have been testing the trading infrastructure since early October.
Watcher.Guru reports the planned December 1 cryptocurrency launch.
How Trading Will Work
MOEX intends to use its existing stock-market infrastructure, allowing professional intermediaries to connect clients to an electronic order book. The exchange also plans swap transactions for liquidity management, while partner digital depositories will record and safeguard customer assets.
Trading is expected to run from 6:50 a.m. to 11:50 p.m. Moscow time, encompassing the venue’s extended securities-market sessions. Blokhin said the familiar infrastructure should reduce implementation costs for brokers.
Crypto.news outlines the three assets and investor conditions associated with the proposed launch.
Who Can Buy Cryptocurrency?
Under Bank of Russia rules effective September 1, nonqualified investors must pass a knowledge test and can buy approved cryptocurrencies worth up to 300,000 rubles annually through each intermediary. Qualified investors must also pass testing but face no equivalent purchase ceiling.
Bitcoin, Ether and USDT meet the initial retail-access criteria. Domestic cryptocurrency payments remain prohibited, while separate rules permit qualifying international trade payments. The restrictions distinguish regulated investment access from unrestricted use of cryptocurrencies as money.
A New Stage for Russia’s Crypto Market
MOEX’s service would follow its cryptocurrency-linked derivatives offerings and reflect Russia’s wider move toward licensed brokers and custodians. Interfax reported October 8 that the exchange did not expect to need another trading license for the new service.
BitcoinVersus.Tech previously covered Russia’s earlier regulated-platform proposal, a domestic stablecoin proposal, and new conditions for Bitcoin miners.
The exchange says enough professional participants are testing to support a December pilot. Actual launch readiness, broker access, custody operations and early trading liquidity will determine how broadly the service is used.
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