{"id":31436,"date":"2026-08-11T18:37:12","date_gmt":"2026-08-11T17:37:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/investx.fr\/en\/2026\/08\/11\/russia-bitcoin-ethereum-usdt-approved-xrp-excluded\/"},"modified":"2026-08-11T18:37:17","modified_gmt":"2026-08-11T17:37:17","slug":"russia-bitcoin-ethereum-usdt-approved-xrp-excluded","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/investx.fr\/en\/crypto-news\/russia-bitcoin-ethereum-usdt-approved-xrp-excluded\/","title":{"rendered":"Russia Approves Bitcoin, Ethereum, and USDT Trading \u2014 XRP Left Out"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The Russian central bank<\/strong> has just crossed a historic threshold in crypto regulation. Only three assets make the cut: Bitcoin<\/strong>, Ethereum<\/strong>, and Tether<\/strong>. Everything else \u2014 XRP<\/strong> included \u2014 remains off-limits for ordinary Russian retail investors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This decision speaks volumes about the criteria Moscow<\/strong> has chosen to define what counts as an “acceptable” cryptocurrency \u2014 and it reshuffles the deck for exchanges operating in the country.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here is what this regulation means in practice, and why the exclusion of XRP<\/strong> is anything but trivial.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Bitcoin, Ethereum, USDT: The Only Assets to Clear Russia’s Liquidity Threshold<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The Central Bank of Russia<\/strong> has established a restricted list of cryptocurrencies approved for retail trading. The primary criterion: sufficient liquidity<\/strong>. Only Bitcoin (BTC)<\/a>, Ethereum (ETH)<\/a><\/strong>, and the stablecoin Tether (USDT) meet this threshold, according to reporting by Decrypt.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This selection is far from arbitrary. Bitcoin<\/strong> alone accounts for more than 50% of the total crypto market capitalization. Ethereum<\/strong> hosts the vast majority of global DeFi<\/strong> activity and smart contract<\/strong> infrastructure. As for USDT<\/strong>, it is the most traded stablecoin<\/strong> in the world, with daily volumes that regularly surpass those of BTC across many exchanges. These three assets form the most robust liquidity foundation in the market \u2014 a point that is technically difficult to argue against.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For exchanges looking to operate legally in Russia<\/strong>, this list imposes a strict framework. Offering trading pairs on unlisted altcoins now exposes platforms to direct regulatory risk. The Russian market, estimated to have several million active users, is effectively funneled toward a dominant but narrow trio of assets.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

XRP Excluded: A Snub That Raises Questions About the Real Criteria<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The absence of XRP<\/a> from the approved list is the strongest signal this decision sends. And yet, XRP<\/strong> consistently ranks among the top 5 to 10 cryptocurrencies by market capitalization, with daily liquidity running into the billions of dollars. On the basis of raw liquidity alone, its exclusion is surprising.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Several theories are circulating. The first points to the ambiguous legal status of XRP<\/strong> internationally \u2014 Ripple<\/strong>‘s token was at the center of a lengthy dispute with the US SEC<\/strong>, which may have fueled institutional wariness well beyond American borders. The second theory relates to the centralized structure of Ripple Labs<\/strong>, which controls a significant portion of the circulating supply \u2014 a profile that sits uncomfortably with the decentralization criteria regulators tend to favor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Other major altcoins such as Solana<\/strong>, BNB<\/strong>, and Cardano<\/strong> are also absent from the list, suggesting that the filter applied goes well beyond simple liquidity and likely incorporates considerations around governance and systemic risk.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What This Regulation Reveals About Moscow’s Crypto Strategy<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Russia<\/strong> is no newcomer to crypto in 2025. Since the international sanctions<\/strong> imposed following the war in Ukraine<\/strong>, Moscow<\/strong> has been actively exploring digital assets as a vehicle for circumventing financial restrictions. Bitcoin<\/strong> mining has been legal there since 2023, and discussions around using BTC<\/strong> in international trade settlements have been officially raised at government level.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This regulated approval of retail trading fits into a broader logic of gradual normalization<\/strong>: integrating cryptocurrencies into the Russian financial system while maintaining strict control over which assets are accessible. By limiting access to three ultra-liquid, globally recognized assets, Moscow<\/strong> reduces the risk of extreme volatility for retail investors while securing a foothold in the global crypto economy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For Russian investors, the window remains narrow. But for Bitcoin<\/strong> and Ethereum<\/strong>, this official recognition by a G20<\/strong> economy \u2014 even one under sanctions \u2014 represents an additional signal of legitimacy on the international stage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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