Inquiries about whether or not pensions will be paid in crypto have turn out to be one of the vital frequent non-standard requests obtained by the Social Fund of Russia, a state-run establishment accountable for managing Russia’s public pension system.
In 2025, the Social Fund’s name middle dealt with roughly 37 million calls, the overwhelming majority associated to routine issues corresponding to pensions, advantages and maternity capital. Nonetheless, operators additionally more and more fielded questions on digital property, in accordance to a Saturday report from Rossiyskaya Gazeta (Russian Gazette), the official each day newspaper of the Russian authorities.
Among the many commonest crypto-related inquiries have been whether or not Russian residents may obtain pension funds in cryptocurrency and whether or not revenue from crypto mining could be factored into the calculation of social advantages. The fund mentioned these questions appeared usually sufficient to face out from the general name quantity.
In response, operators mentioned all pensions and social funds are issued in rubles, and digital property fall exterior the Social Fund’s remit. They added that issues associated to cryptocurrency revenue and taxation are dealt with by the Federal Tax Service of Russia, not by pension authorities.
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Russia overtakes UK, Germany in crypto adoption
As Cointelegraph reported, Russia has emerged as Europe’s largest crypto market, outpacing nations corresponding to the UK and Germany, in line with an October report from Chainalysis. The research 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 improve 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 charge seen throughout the remainder of Europe. General 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 position. Russia recorded stronger development in each giant 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 buyers
Final month, the Financial institution of Russia proposed a coverage change that will enable non-qualified buyers to purchase sure cryptocurrencies below strict circumstances.
Retail buyers could be permitted to buy a restricted set of liquid crypto property after passing a information take a look at, with annual investments capped at 300,000 rubles ($3,834). Certified buyers would acquire broader entry to the crypto market, excluding privateness cash, and would even be required to finish a information evaluation.
Journal: How crypto legal guidelines modified in 2025 — and the way they’ll change in 2026
