Cryptocurrency advertising in Russia from September: new bans and mandatory wording
Starting September 1, 2026, Russian crypto exchanges and digital depositories will gain the right to advertise their services, but this process will be strictly regulated. The new rules introduce a mandatory set of elements while simultaneously imposing strict restrictions on wording that could mislead consumers.
What must be included in advertising
Legislation now requires that every advertising material contain four key components. First, the name of the legal entity organizing the circulation of digital currencies. Second, it is necessary to disclose the source of information that the company is obligated to provide by law. Third, a warning about high risks becomes mandatory: consumers must know that acquiring digital currencies may lead to a total loss of funds. Finally, advertising must include a reference to the restrictions on transactions and operations with digital currencies established by law.
What is prohibited
The key change concerns the ban on advertising specific digital currencies. If an exchange is included in the Central Bank's registry, it may inform about its services, tariffs, and application processing speed. However, phrases such as "USDT at the best rate — exchange in two minutes" or promotions like "BTC without commission until the end of the week" will be considered a violation. In fact, in such cases, the advertising object becomes a specific cryptocurrency, which is directly prohibited by the new Article 29.2 of the law.
Similar restrictions apply to depositories. They may advertise "digital accounting," "transfer of digital currencies," or "digital depository services," but they are not allowed to state "Store Bitcoin with us without risk" or "Best custody for BTC and USDT." Such wording creates a false impression of the absence of risks and advertises specific assets, which contradicts the mandatory warning.
Distribution channels and fines
Almost all communication channels remain available, but with caveats. On a company's own website, a neutral description of services and tariffs may be considered reference information. However, any banner, pop-up, or special offer automatically reclassifies the material as advertising with all the ensuing requirements. In a mobile app, users may see their balance and tickers, but push notifications like "BTC rose 12% — buy now" are already prohibited.
Email and SMS mailings are also possible, but only with the recipient's prior consent. At the same time, for SMS messages, the model becomes extremely inconvenient: a short message must contain not only the offer but also all mandatory disclosures. For legal entities, fines for violating advertising requirements in telecommunications networks reach 1 million rubles, and for violations in internet advertising — up to 500 thousand rubles.
My view: This law ultimately separates infrastructure from assets. It is possible to advertise the service, but not the product. For the market, this means that the marketing strategies of exchanges and depositories will have to be completely restructured, with the focus shifting to technological sophistication and reliability rather than promises of quick profits. This is a step toward greater transparency, but at the same time, it is a serious challenge for businesses accustomed to aggressive promotional campaigns.