Overview
- The Finance Ministry and the Bank of Russia approved a policy that lets companies settle international invoices in cryptocurrency while keeping domestic crypto payments illegal and digital assets outside legal‑tender status.
- All qualifying payments must flow through a state‑controlled mechanism overseen by the central bank, with enforcement by Rosfinmonitoring, and detailed operational guidance has yet to be published.
- Officials said exporters, especially in energy and raw materials, may use Bitcoin for foreign trade settlements under the new framework.
- The decision is presented as a way to work around SWIFT‑related constraints and other sanctions‑linked banking restrictions to sustain trade with willing partners.
- Bitcoin rose about 2.8% to roughly $108,500 following the announcement, according to market reports.