Cryptocurrency advertising in Russia from September: new bans and mandatory wording
Starting September 1, 2026, Russian crypto exchangers and digital deposit services will be entitled to advertise their services, but only if they comply with strict requirements for the content and format of advertisements. This involves a set of mandatory elements that must be present in every advertising material. Otherwise, the company risks receiving an order from the Federal Antimonopoly Service (FAS) and a substantial fine.
Four mandatory elements of advertising
The new legislation explicitly establishes that advertising for exchange and digital deposit services must include four key blocks. First, the name of the entity organizing operations with digital currencies. Second, the source of information that the company is required to disclose under the law. Third, a warning about high risks: the acquisition of digital assets may lead to a complete loss of funds, and it is necessary to review the risks before completing a transaction. Fourth, a reference to the restrictions on transactions with digital currencies established by legislation.
In practice, this means that an exchanger included in the Central Bank's registry may write: "Exchanger X. Digital currency exchange services. Fee — 0.5%" and add the mandatory information. At the same time, it is permitted to advertise the speed of application processing, service procedures, service fees, office, application, or transaction execution technology.
What is prohibited: specific wording
However, phrases like "USDT at the best rate — exchange in two minutes" cannot be used. Such advertising effectively promotes a specific digital currency, which is directly prohibited by the new Article 29.2. Similarly, promotions like "BTC without a fee until the end of the week" are banned — the advertising object shifts from the service to a specific asset.
The situation is similar with digital depositories. A service may advertise "digital accounting, transfer of digital currencies, and provision of access to identifier addresses" or simply "digital depository services" with the disclosures required by law. It is permissible to talk about the service's technology, accounting procedures, interface, and the depository service itself.
However, wording such as "Store Bitcoin with us without risk" or "Best custody for BTC and USDT. Guaranteed safety" is outside the law. In the first case, a specific currency is advertised, and a false impression of the absence of risk is created. In the second, specific assets become part of the offer, and the guarantee of safety conflicts with the mandatory risk warning.
It is important to understand: in advertising services, one cannot name a specific digital currency, guarantee or promise future returns — even if the promise is based on impressive historical results — or forecast exchange rate changes. The formula is simple: we advertise the infrastructure and service, but we do not sell a specific asset to a person or create an investment promise.
Placement channels: from website to SMS
Channels can be almost any. On your own website, a neutral description of services, tariffs, operating procedures, and available features, depending on the presentation, may be considered reference information rather than advertising. But as soon as a separate banner, pop-up, bright call to action, or special offer appears, it is safer to treat the material as advertising and apply all the requirements of Article 29.2 to it. This aligns with the FAS's distinction between informational and advertising content.
The logic is the same in the personal account and mobile application. A user may see a balance, transaction history, available assets, price, and a specific ticker in the form of an already selected transaction — this is functional information. However, a push notification like "BTC rose 12% — buy now" or a carousel of "top coins of the week" is already prohibited.
Email and SMS mailings can also be used, but only with the recipient's prior consent to advertising, and the burden of proving such consent lies with the advertiser. For SMS, the model becomes especially inconvenient: a short message must contain not only the offer but also the mandatory disclosures. If there is no consent, the special fine for a legal entity for violating advertising requirements over telecommunications networks ranges from 300,000 to 1 million rubles, and the FAS continues to actively initiate such cases in 2026.
External internet advertising — banners, advertising integrations, paid placements — is also possible, but requirements for erid (a unique identifier for labeling online advertising) are added to the cryptocurrency restrictions, and fines for legal entities for violations in this area reach up to 500,000 rubles.
Outdoor and indoor advertising is not prohibited in itself: it is possible to place the brand "Exchanger X" and a message about digital currency exchange services, but with the mandatory information. A huge Bitcoin sign in the middle of the screen and a small footnote "exchanger services" will not save the situation — the object of advertising will still be recognized as a specific digital currency.
My analysis: This is a landmark step toward legalizing the crypto industry in Russia, but it requires serious legal precision from businesses. Advertising texts will have to be rewritten considering the new restrictions, and marketing teams will need to reconsider their promotion approaches. In the long term, this could make the market cleaner and protect inexperienced investors, but during the transition period, one should expect an increase in the number of court disputes and precedents regarding the interpretation of the new norms.