Inquiries about whether or not pensions may be paid in crypto have develop into some of the frequent non-standard requests acquired by the Social Fund of Russia, a state-run establishment accountable for managing Russia’s public pension system.
In 2025, the Social Fund’s name heart dealt with roughly 37 million calls, the overwhelming majority associated to routine issues comparable to pensions, advantages and maternity capital. Nonetheless, operators additionally more and more fielded questions on digital belongings, in accordance to a Saturday report from Rossiyskaya Gazeta (Russian Gazette), the official every day newspaper of the Russian authorities.
Among the many commonest crypto-related inquiries have been whether or not Russian residents may obtain pension funds in cryptocurrency and whether or not revenue from crypto mining can be factored into the calculation of social advantages. The fund stated these questions appeared usually sufficient to face out from the general name quantity.
In response, operators stated all pensions and social funds are issued in rubles, and digital belongings fall exterior the Social Fund’s remit. They added that issues associated to cryptocurrency revenue and taxation are dealt with by the Federal Tax Service of Russia, not by pension authorities.
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Russia overtakes UK, Germany in crypto adoption
As Cointelegraph reported, Russia has emerged as Europe’s largest crypto market, outpacing international locations comparable to the UK and Germany, based on an October report from Chainalysis. The examine revealed that Russia acquired $376.3 billion in cryptocurrency between July 2024 and June 2025, giving it a transparent lead over the UK, which recorded $273.2 billion throughout the identical interval.
The report attributed Russia’s rise to a pointy enhance in institutional exercise and broader use of decentralized finance. Giant crypto transfers above $10 million surged 86% yr over yr, almost double the expansion fee seen throughout the remainder of Europe. Total crypto inflows into Russia rose 48% from the earlier yr, widening the hole with different main European economies.
Retail utilization and DeFi adoption additionally performed a key function. Russia recorded stronger progress in each massive and small retail segments than the remainder of Europe, whereas DeFi exercise jumped eightfold in early 2025.
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Russia proposes crypto entry for retail traders
Final month, the Financial institution of Russia proposed a coverage change that might permit non-qualified traders to purchase sure cryptocurrencies beneath strict situations.
Retail traders can be permitted to buy a restricted set of liquid crypto belongings after passing a information check, with annual investments capped at 300,000 rubles ($3,834). Certified traders would achieve broader entry to the crypto market, excluding privateness cash, and would even be required to finish a information evaluation.
Journal: How crypto legal guidelines modified in 2025 — and the way they’ll change in 2026
