Crypto news

Russian retail is on the verge of radical changes: purchasing cryptocurrencies and digital financial assets (DFAs) may become available directly through mobile banking apps, bypassing traditional exchangers. This is not just a hypothesis—it is the consolidated opinion of leading market experts, who, however, differ in their assessments of the timing and format of implementation.

What awaits the retail investor?

The most conservative scenario was voiced by Yaroslav Kabakov, Director of Strategy at IC "Finam." In his opinion, access through banks is inevitable, but primarily in the form of DFAs. Direct purchase of cryptocurrency is still highly questionable due to strict regulatory frameworks and compliance requirements. The key driver of this process is the Bank of Russia, which initiated the relevant bill and expects its adoption in the second reading by the end of July.

Roman Nosov from "BCS World of Investments" agrees with him, recommending waiting for the final version of the document. Fyodor Ivanov, AML/KYT analyst at the operator "SHARD," having studied the current version of the bill on the State Duma website, is also confident that the long-awaited access to digital assets for retail is only a matter of time.

Two types of users: beginners and pros

Alexander Nam, representing MTS Fintech, proposed the most detailed segmentation. He divided retail clients into two categories.

Beginners. For them, simplicity, trust, and security are critically important. Banking services will become the ideal guide: they won't have to deal with crypto wallets and seed phrases. Here, banks have a colossal advantage—a broad audience, a recognizable brand, and a familiar interface.

Experienced traders. This group prefers to work directly with exchanges and DeFi protocols. For them, the key factors are favorable exchange rates, high liquidity, and minimal fees. By these parameters, banks are unlikely to compete with global platforms.

Who will be at the helm?

According to Alexander Nam, all market participants start with equal opportunities, but large banks with developed brokerage infrastructure will be able to scale significantly faster. The main obstacle for them is the lack of deep expertise in blockchain technologies. This thesis is confirmed by Fyodor Ivanov, noting that almost all of the country's largest financial organizations have already announced plans to implement crypto services. Following the giants, regional banks will certainly follow suit, for whom this will be an excellent opportunity to offer a new product and generate additional income. The sector is currently held back solely by regulatory uncertainty.

Gray market of exchangers: verdict or transformation?

Experts agree that banks will significantly reduce the share of the shadow sector, but they will not be able to completely eliminate illegal exchange points. The positions of "gray" players will weaken in the mass segment, but the professional audience will continue to choose anonymity and access to global liquidity pools.

Fyodor Ivanov emphasizes the legal consequences of the reform: after the law comes into force, the activities of unlicensed points will become criminally and administratively punishable. Large exchangers will be able to legalize by obtaining special licenses, although they will have to compete with banks.

Conclusions from Cryptalist analyst

The market is on the verge of a tectonic shift. Banks will undoubtedly capture the mass retail client by offering simplicity and security in apps. However, full legalization will not destroy the gray market—it will only cut off players unprepared for compliance. Professional traders will remain loyal to global exchanges, where there is no room for banking restrictions.

My expertise: The most winning strategy for banks is not to try to compete with exchanges for experienced users, but to focus on creating the simplest and safest "crypto-onboarding" for millions of beginners. It is this segment that will bring them the bulk of fees and loyalty in the long term.