Russia to Add USDC to Approved Crypto Trading List, Deputy Finance Minister Says

Russia plans to include USD Coin (USDC) on its approved list of cryptocurrencies for trading, alongside USDT, Bitcoin, and Ethereum, according to Deputy Finance Minister Ivan Chebeskov. According to ChainCatcher, Chebeskov said the move would proceed despite the Russian central bank previously indicating it would not add more tokens for now. Chebeskov also said Russia may allow smaller fiat-backed stablecoins from “friendly” jurisdictions, including ruble stablecoins and UAE dirham stablecoins. Under the proposed framework, non-professional investors would be limited to crypto assets that meet eligibility requirements, including an average market capitalization above 5 trillion rubles over the past two years. Chebeskov said Russia’s cryptocurrency regulatory bill must be passed before July 1. He added that non-professional investors would receive legal access to crypto for the first time, with an annual investment cap of 300,000 rubles.