Russian banking group Sberbank is examining the launch of ruble loans secured by cryptocurrency, according to Deputy Chairman Anatoly Popov. The move follows a new regulatory concept from the Central Bank of Russia, which plans to recognize cryptocurrencies and stablecoins as currency assets and broaden access for retail investors by July 1, 2026. Sberbank is also expanding activity on its digital asset platform, where it has supported over 160 issues of digital financial assets, including the country's first real estate and oil tokens.

According to the Central Bank of Lithuania, crypto service providers must obtain a MiCA license by December 31, 2025, or operating without authorization will be treated as illegal from January 1. The regulator warns of fines, website blocking, and possible criminal liability, while only about 30 applicants have filed out of more than 370 registered firms.

Alfa-Bank launched a fuel-linked digital financial asset, with purchases open from December 23 to 26 in Moscow and the Moscow Region. The token's nominal value is 6,650 rubles and offers a 20% fixed annual yield, maturing between March 1 and 15 next year with a choice of cash plus interest or a 100-liter fuel voucher.

The Central Bank of Russia outlined a framework to classify cryptocurrencies and stablecoins as currency assets and to widen investor access. Retail participants would face testing and a 300,000 rubles annually limit via one intermediary, while qualified investors could buy most tokens except anonymous coins. Draft laws are targeted by July 1, 2026, with additional liability rules by July 2027.

In the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia), regional authorities are considering building cryptocurrency mining farms at the Ulugurskoye and Ergedzheyskoye gas fields operated by Ulugurneftegaz, a joint venture of Alrosa and Sakhatransneftegaz. The plan seeks to use large local gas reserves to power coin minting facilities, as Russia promotes relocating miners to remote northern regions with surplus energy and colder climates to ease pressure on grids in other areas.

On December 20, 2025, Bank of Russia governor Elvira Nabiullina said cryptocurrency mining is among the factors supporting the ruble’s strength. She noted the sector’s gray-market share makes its impact hard to measure. The ruble was a little over 80 per U.S. dollar, after rising above 110 in January and touching around 76 earlier in December.

Russia’s executive authorities plan to start making budget payments in the digital ruble from 2025, including public sector salaries, pensions, and social transfers. The Ministry of Finance outlined that these transactions, based on recent legal amendments, will be voluntary for recipients and precede a full-scale CBDC rollout planned for the second half of 2026. The Bank of Russia and the Federal Treasury are coordinating integration of the digital ruble into the federal budget process, with free transfers between individuals and low merchant fees already announced.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Michigan said Wednesday that the FBI disrupted E-Note, a cryptocurrency cashout service allegedly used by cybercriminals. Prosecutors unsealed an indictment against Russian national Mykhalio Petrovich Chudnovets, who faces up to 20 years in prison, after investigators identified more than $70,000,000 in illicit proceeds moved through the platform.

According to Delovoy Peterburg this week, St. Petersburg‑based Rozetki SPb filed a patent for an EV charging station with a built‑in crypto mining module. The company estimates mining could cover 7,200 rubles while 300 kWh of monthly charging costs about 2,600 rubles at 6.2 rubles per kWh, though experts cited by RBC note public network tariffs can reach 18–19 rubles per kWh.