Inquiries about whether or not pensions might be paid in crypto have grow to be one of the crucial frequent non-standard requests obtained by the Social Fund of Russia, a state-run establishment answerable for managing Russia’s public pension system.
In 2025, the Social Fund’s name heart dealt with roughly 37 million calls, the overwhelming majority associated to routine issues comparable to pensions, advantages and maternity capital. Nevertheless, operators additionally more and more fielded questions on digital belongings, according to a Saturday report from Rossiyskaya Gazeta (Russian Gazette), the official day by day newspaper of the Russian authorities.
Among the many most typical crypto-related inquiries had been whether or not Russian residents may obtain pension funds in cryptocurrency and whether or not earnings from crypto mining can be factored into the calculation of social advantages. The fund mentioned these questions appeared typically sufficient to face out from the general name quantity.
In response, operators mentioned all pensions and social funds are issued in rubles, and digital belongings fall outdoors the Social Fund’s remit. They added that issues associated to cryptocurrency earnings and taxation are dealt with by the Federal Tax Service of Russia, not by pension authorities.
Associated: Global sanctions linked to record flows into illicit crypto addresses
Russia overtakes UK, Germany in crypto adoption
As Cointelegraph reported, Russia has emerged as Europe’s largest crypto market, outpacing international locations comparable to the UK and Germany, in response to an October report from Chainalysis. The examine revealed that Russia obtained $376.3 billion in cryptocurrency between July 2024 and June 2025, giving it a transparent lead over the UK, which recorded $273.2 billion throughout the identical interval.
The report attributed Russia’s rise to a pointy enhance in institutional exercise and broader use of decentralized finance. Massive crypto transfers above $10 million surged 86% 12 months over 12 months, practically double the expansion fee seen throughout the remainder of Europe. Total crypto inflows into Russia rose 48% from the earlier 12 months, widening the hole with different main European economies.
Retail utilization and DeFi adoption additionally performed a key function. Russia recorded stronger development in each massive and small retail segments than the remainder of Europe, whereas DeFi exercise jumped eightfold in early 2025.
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Russia proposes crypto entry for retail traders
Final month, the Financial institution of Russia proposed a policy change that will enable non-qualified traders to purchase sure cryptocurrencies beneath strict circumstances.
Retail traders can be permitted to buy a restricted set of liquid crypto belongings after passing a data take a look at, with annual investments capped at 300,000 rubles ($3,834). Certified traders would acquire broader entry to the crypto market, excluding privateness cash, and would even be required to finish a data evaluation.
Journal: How crypto laws changed in 2025 — and how they’ll change in 2026
