Russia's Central Bank Chief Details Crypto Buying Caps for Non-Qualified Investors

Elvira Nabiullina, governor of the Central Bank of Russia, said Bill No. 11949188 introduces a standard regulatory split between qualified and non-qualified investors, an approach used well beyond crypto markets. She said the tighter limits for non-qualified investors are designed to shield them from risks they may not fully understand through statutory protections. Nabiullina said the same safeguards are being applied to the crypto sector given the market's sharp volatility and the possibility that foreign digital assets associated with Russia could be subject to seizure. Bill No. 11949188 is scheduled to take effect on September 1, the same date as the planned rollout of the digital ruble. Under the bill, non-qualified investors would be limited to cryptocurrency purchases of up to 300,000 rubles (about $3,800), while qualified investors would be allowed to buy up to 10 times that amount. Nabiullina added that Russia's crypto ecosystem will remain open, with no limits on repatriating digital assets or transferring them abroad. She said investors who receive such assets overseas will no longer be protected by Russian law, and any disputes would need to be handled under foreign legal jurisdictions.