Russia’s crypto courtship heads to an offshore center for cryptos, exchanges, and forex markets

Russia is contemplating building a large financial center on the island of Bolshoy Ussuriysky.
Russias hate-love relationship with cryptocurrencies continues.

John Isige FXStreet

Russian has been having a love-hate relationship with cryptocurrencies over the years. The country at time considers banning crypto activities altogether while at some other time, it feels that crypto regulation is the way to go. Particularly today, conflicting news is coming from Russian news outlets. A representative of the State Duma (parliament) said the holding Bitcoin was legal as long as it is bought under foreign law and point of sales while mining cryptocurrencies will attract fines.

You may also like:

Russia lawmakers’ representative issues clarity on Bitcoin holding and mining

On the other hand a local news outlet, TASS news agency reported that same Russia is contemplating building a large financial center on the island of Bolshoy Ussuriysky. This according to Leonid Petukhov, who heads the Far Eastern Agency for Attracting Investments and Supporting Exports. Petukhov says that the island could be the next home for cryptocurrencies, cryptocurrency exchanges, and forex markets.

This island lies on the border between Russia and China. The western parts of the island were transferred to Beijing after an elongated period of dispute in the 2004 agreement. Petukhov was speaking to TASS at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum.

Breaking news: Bitcoin bulls’ comeback skyrockets BTC/USD to $8,000

Author

John Isige

FXStreet

John Isige is a seasoned cryptocurrency journalist and markets analyst committed to delivering high-quality, actionable insights tailored to traders, investors, and crypto enthusiasts. He enjoys deep dives into emerging Web3 tren

Markets move fast. We move first.

Orange Juice Newsletter brings you expert driven insights - not headlines. Every day on your inbox.

Editor's Picks

Crypto market outlook for 2026

Year 2025 was volatile, as crypto often is. Among positive catalysts were favourable regulatory changes in the U.S., rise of Digital Asset Treasuries (DAT), adoption of AI and tokenization of Real-World-Assets (RWA).

Sberbank issues Russia's first corporate loan backed by Bitcoin

Russia's largest bank Sberbank launched the country's first Bitcoin-backed corporate loan to miner Intelion Data. The pilot deal uses cryptocurrency as collateral through Sberbank's proprietary Rutoken custody solution.

Bitcoin recovers to $87,000 as retail optimism offsets steady ETF outflows

Bitcoin (BTC) trades above $88,000 at press time on Tuesday, following a rejection at $90,000 the previous day. Institutional support remains mixed amid steady outflow from US spot BTC Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs) and Strategy Inc.’s acquisition of 1,229 BTC last week.