Advertising crypto services in Russia: a strange transition period begins on September 1
From September 1, 2026, new rules for advertising services related to organizing cryptocurrency circulation come into force in Russia. However, as analysis shows, this is only a partial easing: the ban on advertising digital currencies themselves remains in full force. The market is entering an extremely unusual transition period that could last until mid-2027.
Until recently, the answer to the question about advertising cryptocurrencies and related services was extremely simple: it is prohibited. Federal Law No. 221-FZ of August 19, 2024, introduced a broad ban on advertising digital currencies, as well as goods, works, and services related to organizing their circulation. The wording turned out to be so broad that even offers to buy USDT or exchange Bitcoin fell under the ban.
Why the 2024 ban was logical
From a legal standpoint, the ban was quite justified. At that time, Russia had no regulation whatsoever regarding the organization of cryptocurrency circulation. The state effectively prohibited advertising something that had no legal framework. However, the effect turned out to be paradoxical. In August 2024, the authorities legalized mining and created a separate regulated regime for it, while the largest advertising platform, Yandex.Direct, at the same time banned advertising of mining, crypto exchanges, blockchain, smart contracts, and ICOs. A strange situation arose: the state permitted the activity, but advertising it became impossible.
Today, Yandex's rules allow advertising of equipment and cloud resources for mining, educational materials, and events. However, crypto exchanges themselves and mining as an activity remain on the list of prohibited categories.
What changes in September
Now 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. Both documents were officially published on August 4, 2026.
From September 1, 2026, the ban on advertising digital currencies themselves remains in force. It is prohibited to advertise Bitcoin, Ethereum, USDT, or any other specific coin. Offers to "buy USDT today," promises of growth for a specific coin, or calls to choose one cryptocurrency over another are prohibited.
At the same time, advertising of services for organizing the circulation of digital currencies is now permitted. Unlike in 2024, the state has created a regulated framework: rules for organizing circulation have been defined, and conditions for obtaining the status of legal crypto exchanges, digital depositories, and other participants have been established. It would be strange to prohibit these participants from informing the market about their services. A separate permitted model for this is created by the new Article 29.2 of the Advertising Law.
The transition period and its oddities
However, there is a curious nuance. The new advertising conditions begin to apply as early as September 1, 2026, but they only extend to cryptocurrency circulation participants listed in the Central Bank's registry. The full regime, under which only registry participants are entitled to organize circulation, is activated only on July 1, 2027. Until that date, exchanges can operate under the old rules, but the new advertising conditions do not apply to such players — they are not in the registry, which the Central Bank itself has not yet opened.
Thus, the market enters an unusual transition period. The new advertising rules already exist, but the new licensing infrastructure is only being launched. As of August, the Bank of Russia has published draft procedures for maintaining registries and other necessary acts. This is not a complete legal vacuum — the law specifically provided for transitional mechanisms — but a certain regulatory desynchronization is evident here.
My view: this transition period creates a unique window of opportunity for legally clean players who manage to obtain status in the Central Bank's registry before July 1, 2027. For the rest, the market will remain in a gray zone, where advertising will carry high risks. I recommend market participants start preparing documents for entry into the registry now, in order to take advantage of the new regime's benefits from the very first days of its full operation.