Advertising of crypto services in Russia: a paradoxical transition period until 2027
The Russian digital assets market is entering an extremely unusual phase. Starting September 1, 2026, advertising of services for organizing cryptocurrency circulation will be permitted in the country for the first time in two years. However, as my observations show, this relaxation is half-hearted: the direct ban on advertising the digital currencies themselves does not disappear anywhere.
Until recently, the answer to the question about advertising was extremely simple: it is prohibited. The August 2024 law introduced a comprehensive ban covering not only the crypto assets themselves but also any goods, works, and services related to their circulation. In practice, this meant it was impossible to promote exchangers, write "Buy USDT at a favorable rate" or "Exchange Bitcoin in 15 minutes." The wording turned out to be so broad that even adjacent areas came under attack, up to and including mining, which the state had actually legalized at the same time.
The logic of the ban and the first cracks
The ban at that time was legally justified: before clear regulation of cryptocurrency circulation organizations emerged, advertising would have looked like an invitation into a legal gray zone. However, the market adapted. It is telling that even now, in public listings of exchangers, users are offered to buy and sell BTC, ETH, USDT, compare rates, and choose a service, ignoring existing restrictions. Platforms like Yandex.Direct formally prohibit advertising of mining and exchangers, but at the same time allow the promotion of equipment and cloud resources for mining.
New reality from September 2026
The situation changes with the adoption of a package of laws on digital currencies and rights. From September 1, 2026, the ban on advertising services for organizing circulation is lifted, but only for participants in the Central Bank registry. This means that legal crypto exchangers and digital depositories will finally be able to make themselves known in the market. At the same time, advertising of specific coins — Bitcoin, Ethereum, or USDT — remains prohibited. You cannot make BTC the "asset of the week" or promise growth of a specific coin.
The key oddity of the transition period is that the new advertising conditions come into force right now, while the full regime, under which only registry participants will be able to engage in organizing circulation, is activated only from July 1, 2027. This creates a paradox: the rules of the game for advertising have already changed, but the admission infrastructure itself — the Central Bank registry — has not yet been launched. The Bank of Russia has only published draft procedures for maintaining registries, which means that exchangers operating under the old rules do not formally fall under the new relaxations.
My analysis: This regulatory desynchronization creates a unique window of opportunity for unscrupulous players. While the registry is empty and the law already permits advertising of services, the market may face a wave of promotion of gray exchangers that formally do not violate the letter of the law but do not correspond to its spirit. Investors should be especially vigilant in the coming months and check the status of any crypto platform in official sources rather than relying on loud advertising.