Russia plans to restrict non-professional investors from purchasing foreign stablecoins

According to Bits.media, the final version of the Russian government's cryptocurrency regulation bill includes new restrictions, proposing to prohibit non-professional investors from purchasing foreign stablecoins, a group that encompasses the vast majority of residents in the country. The bill introduces two new concepts: "foreign digital tools" and "non-deliverable foreign digital tools," with collateral-backed stablecoins categorized under the latter.

Qualified investors can purchase foreign digital tools, while non-qualified investors can only buy specific assets from a special list provided by the central bank. At the end of June, the Central Bank of Russia proposed a draft regulatory framework for stablecoins, requiring all transactions to be conducted under national control and completed through exchanges or legal exchange points. Central Bank Governor Elvira Nabiullina previously expressed a "cautious attitude" towards foreign stablecoins, as their issuers can freeze assets in users' wallets.