Advertising of crypto services in Russia: a paradoxical transition period until 2027
Starting September 1, 2026, new rules come into force in Russia that, for the first time in two years, will allow advertising services related to organizing cryptocurrency circulation. However, as an analysis of the new legislative logic shows, the ban on advertising the digital currency itself remains in effect. This creates a unique and, at first glance, contradictory situation in the market.
Let me remind you that until recently, the answer was extremely simple: no. Federal Law No. 221-FZ of August 19, 2024, introduced a broad ban — on advertising the digital currency itself, as well as goods, works, and services related to organizing its circulation. This meant it was impossible to write "Buy USDT at a favorable rate" or "Exchange Bitcoin in 15 minutes." The ban applied to offering digital currency to an unlimited circle of people, which effectively paralyzed legal advertising activity in this sphere.
From a legal standpoint, the 2024 ban was logical: at that time, Russia had absolutely no regulation of organizing cryptocurrency circulation. The state simply prohibited advertising something that had no legal status. The example of mining is telling: in August 2024, the state legalized this activity, but Yandex.Direct almost immediately banned advertising for mining, crypto exchanges, and blockchain services. A strange effect emerged: a ban on advertising legal activity.
Today, the situation is changing. Federal Law No. 282-FZ of August 4, 2026, "On Digital Currencies and Digital Rights," and Federal Law No. 283-FZ of August 4, 2026, have been adopted. The first creates a regulated framework for organizing cryptocurrency circulation and defines its legal participants. The second introduces amendments to related laws, including the Advertising Law.
What changes in September
Starting September 1, 2026, the ban on advertising the digital currency itself remains in force. Advertising Bitcoin, Ethereum, USDT, or any other specific cryptocurrency is still prohibited. You cannot make BTC the "asset of the week" or offer to "buy USDT today." However, advertising services for organizing the circulation of digital currencies is now permitted. The state has created a regulated framework: rules have been defined, and conditions have been established for obtaining the statuses of legal crypto exchanges, digital depositories, and other participants.
Key nuance: the new advertising conditions take effect as early as September 1, 2026, but apply only to circulation participants from the Central Bank registry. The full regime, under which only registry participants will be able to carry out circulation organization, activates only on July 1, 2027. This creates an asymmetry: exchanges can operate under the old rules until that date, but the new advertising conditions do not apply to them because they are not in the registry, which the Central Bank itself has not yet opened.
Thus, the market enters an unusual transitional period. The new advertising rules already exist, but the new admission infrastructure is only being launched. The regulatory desynchronization is obvious, although the legislator did provide transitional mechanisms to avoid a complete legal vacuum.
My analysis: This situation is a classic example of regulation trying to outpace infrastructure. On the one hand, the state gives the green light to legal players, but on the other, it creates unequal conditions for those not yet in the registry. I expect that before July 2027, we will see significant market consolidation around companies that can obtain Central Bank status fastest and leverage advertising opportunities. For other participants, this is a time of uncertainty and searching for workarounds, which will inevitably lead to new disputes with the regulator.