Russia’s central bank said on 6 November 2026 that ordinary, non-qualified investors may buy Bitcoin, Ether and USDT from 17 November 2026, through brokers, trust managers or licensed crypto exchange offices. Purchases through any one intermediary are capped at ₽300,000 a year. Every buyer, qualified or not, must pass a knowledge test and read a risk notice first.
Most coverage stopped at “Russia opens crypto to retail.” For an Indian reader the sharper point is the contrast: Russia controls how much and what you can buy, while India controls almost nothing about buying and instead takes its share when you sell.
What Russia approved
The Bank of Russia’s list contains only three assets. It says it picked them on market capitalisation, average daily trading volume, and at least five years of price history on foreign exchanges. Qualified investors can access all crypto assets with no purchase limit.
CryptoSlate reports that the cap counts both completed purchases and pending orders through that broker in the calendar year, and that the Moscow Exchange plans a gradual pilot launch from 1 December. Under the federal law’s testing article, the test is free and a pass stays valid for one year.
Because the limit applies per intermediary, a retail buyer with accounts at several brokers can in principle buy more than ₽300,000 in total. It is a speed bump, not a hard national ceiling.
The cap in rupees
At the 7 November RUB/INR rate of 1.1547, ₽300,000 is about ₹3,46,405, or roughly $3,672. At Bitcoin’s price of about $75,988 in our 7 November daily price post, that buys around 0.048 BTC a year per broker.
Russia vs India, side by side
| Rule | Russia, retail (from 17 Nov 2026) | India, resident |
|---|---|---|
| Coins you can buy | BTC, ETH, USDT only | Anything listed on an FIU-IND-registered exchange |
| Yearly purchase cap | ₽300,000 (~₹3.46 lakh) per intermediary | None |
| Knowledge test before buying | Yes, free, valid one year | No |
| Who can sell to you | Licensed brokers, trust managers, exchange offices | Exchanges registered with FIU-IND |
| Tax on gains | Not covered here | 30% + 4% cess = 31.2%, no loss set-off |
| Deduction at sale | Not covered here | 1% TDS under section 194S |
You can check whether an Indian platform is registered with our FIU-IND exchange checker.
BtcMedia calculation: the same ₹3.46 lakh in India
Say an Indian resident buys ₹3,46,405 of Bitcoin, the Russian cap, and later sells after a 20% rise.
- Sale value: ₹4,15,686
- Gain: ₹69,281
- Tax at 31.2%: about ₹21,616
- 1% TDS deducted on the sale: about ₹4,157 (credited against the final tax bill)
Run your own numbers with the crypto tax calculator and the TDS calculator. If the trade loses money instead, India gives no set-off against other income; see the loss set-off calculator for what that means.
What it means for Indian investors
Nothing in Russia’s rule changes Indian law. But it shows a different regulatory choice. Russia limits retail exposure upfront with a short asset list, a test and a cap. India allows open access and relies on a high tax rate and TDS trail to discourage churn.
BtcMedia verdict: Russia’s model protects small investors from buying obscure tokens, but it also blocks them from most of the market. India’s model leaves the choice to you, which makes your own discipline, and an honest tax estimate before you trade, more important.
FAQ
When can Russian retail investors start buying crypto? The Bank of Russia’s ordinance takes effect on 17 November 2026. The Moscow Exchange plans a gradual pilot from 1 December.
Is ₽300,000 a total limit? No. It applies per intermediary per calendar year, according to the Bank of Russia.
Does India have a crypto purchase limit? No. India sets no annual cap on buying crypto. Gains are taxed at 31.2% and sales attract 1% TDS.
How we calculated this: ₽300,000 × RUB/INR 1.1547 and RUB/USD 0.01224 (open.er-api.com, updated 7 Nov 2026, 5:32 AM IST); BTC at $75,988 from our 7 Nov daily price post; tax at 31.2% under section 115BBH and TDS at 1% of sale value.
This article is for information only and is not financial or tax advice.