Bitcoin Rises as Russia’s Rule Allows Retail Investors to Buy
Bitcoin (BTC) is on the rise in the crypto market, trading near $80,000 over the last 24 hours, according to data from a crypto exchange.
The market reacted to Russia’s adoption of BTC into its new regulated framework, which allows retail investors to buy Bitcoin and other crypto assets under strict limits and under the Bank of Russia’s oversight.
BTC is hovering around $80k on Sunday, with trading volume having fallen sharply over the last 24 hours. The digital asset had surpassed its current level but was pulled back by sell-offs.
Over the last 24 hours, BTC trading volume fell by 33%, with $20 billion in transaction value. BTC slid below $80,000 after August payrolls came in at 162,000, erasing a rally built on Fed Governor Waller’s signal that he could support holding rates steady.
Nonfarm payrolls rose by 162,000 in August, while the unemployment rate held at 4.1%, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Economists surveyed by Dow Jones had expected 53,000, CNBC reported, while a FactSet poll cited by CNN put it at 65,000.
Moscow now allows non-qualified retail investors to buy limited amounts of approved crypto annually via regulated intermediaries, while keeping a ban on domestic crypto payments.
Russia’s framework for crypto trading, custody, and cross-border settlements took effect on 1 September under the supervision of the Bank of Russia.
The new rules introduce a formal regime for buying and holding digital assets rather than treating them as an unregulated grey area.
The framework covers multiple activities: trading, custody, and use of crypto in foreign trade settlements, but explicitly keeps crypto off-limits as a legal means of payment within Russia.
Bitcoin is one of the primary assets expected to be available under this regime, but the rules apply to a broader set of “eligible” tokens. BTC is now inside a formal Russian regulatory perimeter, but as an investment and settlement asset, not as domestic money.
The same report notes that non-qualified investors can purchase up to 300,000 rubles of eligible crypto per year through each regulated intermediary, and only after passing a knowledge test under the rules for “non-qualified” clients.
Qualified investors, such as institutions and high-net-worth clients, are not subject to the same annual cap. The framework requires that all activity go through supervised intermediaries, which entails full KYC and reporting.
That reduces legal risk for Russian retail participants who comply, but it also gives authorities clear visibility into flows and makes it easier to enforce capital controls or sanctions screening if they tighten policy.
For everyday Russians, this is a more legally secure on-ramp to BTC, but with capped size and very little anonymity. For global Bitcoin markets, Russia’s move adds a new regulated demand channel rather than a pure ban or fully offshore model.
The bigger strategic angle is cross-border settlements: the framework allows crypto to be used in foreign trade transactions, which could make BTC or stablecoins part of Russia’s efforts to circumvent banking sanctions. Bitcoin Price as U.S Treasury Yields Hit Multi- Decade Highs
