Russia plans to ban direct peer-to-peer crypto trades from July 2027

Russia is putting an expiration date on one of the most popular ways its citizens buy and sell crypto. The Bank of Russia announced on October 12, 2026, that direct peer-to-peer transactions in digital assets will be banned starting July 1, 2027. After that date, a trade between two people with no licensed middleman in between becomes off-limits. Every legitimate trade will need to pass through a regulated intermediary that answers to the central bank. What the new rules actually do The ban stems from Federal Law No. 282-FZ, which President Vladimir Putin signed on August 4, 2026. The law took effect on September 1, 2026, and sets up a formal framework for how digital assets can change hands inside Russia. The core idea is simple. Most digital asset transactions must now run through licensed intermediaries, such as brokers, exchanges and depositories, that are officially registered with the Bank of Russia. Direct P2P trades between individuals remain permitted until the July 1, 2027 cutoff. That window is meant to serve as a transition period, giving traders, platforms and intermediaries time to adjust before the informal route closes. The law also sorts investors into two groups. ...