Moscow Exchange to open bitcoin, ether and USDT trading in December, with a 300,000 rouble cap for retail

Russia's main stock exchange, the Moscow Exchange (MOEX), will open trading in bitcoin, ether and Tether's USDT stablecoin in December, Cointelegraph reported on Tuesday, 3 November 2026. MOEX had set 1 December 2026 as the start of spot trading in digital assets, according to earlier reports carried by PrimeXBT, citing Crypto Briefing.

How it will work

• Spot, not futures: buyers will own the coins themselves rather than a contract that tracks the price.
• Retail investors can buy BTC, ETH and USDT only, up to 300,000 roubles a year (about $3,600), and must first pass a knowledge test.
• Qualified investors have no purchase cap and access to a wider range of digital assets.
• Trades run through MOEX's existing systems under its current licence as a trading organiser, with digital depositories handling settlement.
• The legal basis is Federal Law No. 282-FZ, in force since 1 September 2026. MOEX began testing with professional market participants on 1 October.

Russia's two biggest banks, Sberbank and VTB, are preparing digital asset services for their own clients. Analysts cited in the reports expect around 80% of Russian crypto trading to stay on unregulated channels, where there are no caps or tests.

Why it matters

A national stock exchange selling bitcoin directly to ordinary savers moves Russian crypto buying from offshore apps onto a regulated, state-licensed venue, with limits and tests built in for small investors.

For readers in Pakistan

The Russian exchange is open only to Russian investors, so nothing changes for Pakistani traders. Bitcoin was trading at about $77,264 on Tuesday afternoon, according to our bitcoin price page, with ether near $2,277 on the ether page. Any gains from crypto are taxable in Pakistan; our capital gains tax calculator shows how disposals of assets are taxed, and the dollar rate converts prices into rupees.