The Ministry of Digital Development, Communications and Mass Media of the Russian Federation (Ministry of Digital Development) has developed a draft amendment to the Code of Administrative Offenses (CoAO), aimed at tightening the regulation of cryptocurrencies and mining. The document, published on regulation.gov.ru under the number 159659, introduces administrative accountability for violations in this area. If the bill is approved, the changes will take effect from March 1, 2026. This is a step towards eliminating 'gray zones' in the industry, where bans previously existed formally without real sanctions.
The draft establishes accountability for using digital currency as a means of payment for goods, work, or services. Fines for individuals range from 100,000 to 200,000 rubles, for officials — from 200,000 to 400,000 rubles, and for legal entities — from 700,000 to 1,000,000 rubles. In all cases, cryptocurrency used in payments may be confiscated. This complements the ban in effect since 2021, making it more enforceable.
Individuals can engage in mining without registration as an individual entrepreneur or legal entity if power consumption does not exceed 6,000 kWh per month. If it exceeds, registration in the miners' register is required. For violations: fines range from 100,000 to 200,000 rubles for individuals, from 200,000 to 400,000 rubles for individual entrepreneurs and officials, from 1,000,000 to 2,000,000 rubles for legal entities. Confiscation of mined cryptocurrency is possible. This is aimed at controlling energy costs and legalizing the activity.
Operators providing equipment or capacities for mining can only be registered individual entrepreneurs and legal entities in a special register. For violations, fines are stipulated: from 200,000 to 400,000 rubles for individual entrepreneurs and officials, from 1,000,000 to 2,000,000 rubles for legal entities. This strengthens oversight of the industry's infrastructure.
The bill introduces fines for 'unlawful organization of digital currency circulation,' which can be broadly interpreted — from P2P exchanges to crypto service advertising. Fines are similar to previous ones: from 200,000 to 400,000 rubles for individual entrepreneurs and officials, from 1,000,000 to 2,000,000 rubles for legal entities. The vagueness of terms creates risks for exchangers and platforms facilitating transactions, potentially restricting legal business.
Miners are required to provide the Federal Tax Service with data on mined cryptocurrency and address identifiers, including mining pools. For non-submission or violations: fines range from 200,000 to 400,000 rubles for individual entrepreneurs and officials, from 1,000,000 to 2,000,000 rubles for legal entities. Violators can be excluded from the register. This increases transparency and tax control.
Overall, the amendments make the crypto industry more controllable but raise questions about the technical implementation of confiscations and space for innovation. The project is at the stage of public discussions, allowing adjustments to be made.