Crypta in the foreign economic activity: since July 1, bitcoin has been included in the register of the Central Bank

For three years, cryptocurrency in Russia existed in a gray zone: you can own it, you can invest, you can't pay off. Starting from July 1, the rules are changed systematically.

What exactly is legalized

Since April 1, 2026, operations for the sale of cryptocurrencies are exempt from VAT. This means: bought, sold, exchanged — no value added tax is charged. For businesses using crypto in foreign economic activity calculations, this reduces the transaction burden.

Since July 1, cryptocurrency transactions have been processed through the Central Bank's registry. A two—tier model: exchanges with organized trade have strict requirements, and exchangers have simplified requirements. Working outside the registry becomes illegal.

How the scheme of calculations for foreign economic activity works

As part of the experimental legal regime (EPR), the company transfers rubles to an authorized bank. The bank converts them into cryptocurrency and sends them to a foreign counterparty. On the other side, there is a similar operation in the opposite direction. Wallet addresses are recorded, and transactions are reported under the supervision of the Central Bank and Rosfinmonitoring.

The scheme works. Bitcoin has become a key tool for settlements with partners from China, the UAE, India, and Turkey, where traditional banking channels are blocked or unreliable due to sanctions.

Taxation of mining and sales

For miners: the tax is calculated twice — at the time of crediting coins to the wallet at the current exchange rate and again when selling profits in fiat. Domestic payments in cryptocurrency remain prohibited — only foreign trade settlements.

The Moscow Stock Exchange has been trading bitcoin futures since November 2025, with a volume of almost 49 billion rubles in the first month. This is another legal channel for corporate work with digital assets.

What does this mean for foreign economic activity right now

There is a preparatory period until July 1. For companies planning to use cryptocurrencies for foreign economic activity settlements: select an authorized bank with a crypto settlement function, fix the scheme in contracts with counterparties, check the availability of a partner in the destination country operating in a legal cryptocurrency.

After July 1, work through the registry of the Central Bank. Banks that have not received the appropriate authorization will not be able to conduct such operations. The list will be published on the Central Bank's website.