The Moscow Exchange will launch Bitcoin, Ethereum, and USDT trading on December 1
According to Cointelegraph, the Moscow Exchange plans to launch trading for Bitcoin, Ethereum, and Tether's USDT on December 1, calling it Russia's first organized digital currency market.The exchange stated that pilot trading will begin simultaneously as participants gradually access the platform, with trading relying on its existing stock market infrastructure and clearing completed through the National Clearing Center (NCC). Trading hours will be from 6:50 AM to 11:50 PM Moscow time, initially supporting same-day and next-day settlements as well as swap trading. Non-qualified investors must pass a test before purchasing cryptocurrencies, and each brokerage has an annual purchase limit of 300,000 rubles (approximately $3,700).The plan is advancing based on a cryptocurrency law in Russia, the main provisions of which took effect on September 1. This law allows regulated trading but still prohibits the use of cryptocurrencies for payment of goods and services within Russia. The Moscow Exchange and NCC have been under U.S. sanctions since June 2024, with the UK also imposing sanctions that year, and the EU listing them on the sanctions list in July 2026.Sergey Mendeleev, founder of the Russian cross-border payment platform Exved, told Cointelegraph that he doubts the market will attract significant demand and questions who would trade at a sanctioned exchange.He expects the trading conditions to lack competitiveness, comparing it to the precious metals accounts of Sberbank, and warns that investors may face "extremely outrageous spreads," believing that the product is completely unattractive to ordinary non-qualified investors. However, he is optimistic about its cross-border payment potential, stating that a venue allowing importers and exporters to buy and sell cryptocurrencies directly would be welcomed, but whether adding intermediaries is competitive in a market where traders negotiate spreads as low as 0.05% remains questionable.