BitRiver, Russia’s largest crypto mining firm, is facing potential bankruptcy after a regional arbitration court opened insolvency supervision proceedings against its controlling shareholder, Decrypt.com reported. Igor Runets, BitRiver’s founder and chief executive, was reportedly placed under house arrest on tax evasion charges after a Moscow district court issued a ruling last week.
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The head of Russia's lower house of the country’s parliament on Thursday said that crypto market regulations will be ready by June of this year and come into force on July 1, 2027, CoinDesk.com reported. Anatoly Aksakov, head of the State Duma Committee on Financial Markets, said that qualified and unqualified investors will be allowed to purchase cryptocurrencies although under separate rules, according to the Duma’s official news outlet. A cap will be in place on retail investors' crypto purchases with the figure of 300,000 rubles ($4,000) being discussed, he added.
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Russia’s defense institute NIISSU is in severe financial distress even as it continues work on “Sword,” a sophisticated command-and-control system for China’s People’s Liberation Army, United24 Media reported. NIISSU is one of the key enterprises in Russia’s military-industrial complex, specializing in automated command-and-control systems. Its developments are used in several countries allied with Russia. The institute’s most well-known project is the so-called “Sword,” which drew widespread attention after a major leak of internal documents online last year.
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A domestic supplier of electronic components, Quantum, intends to file a bankruptcy petition against Angstrom Research and Production Association, www1.ru reported. The company underpaid more than 20 million rubles for the supply of components. The announcement of Quantum's plans appeared in the register of legally significant information at the end of November 2025. Preliminary, Angstrom Research and Production Association underpaid for the supply of electronic components. In this regard, a lawsuit was filed against the enterprise.
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Sberbank, Russia’s second-largest bank, issued the country's first bitcoin-backed loan to one of its largest bitcoin miners, calling the transaction a pilot and suggesting it was keen to issue more in the future, CoinDesk.com reported. “We believe this product will be relevant not only for cryptocurrency miners, but also for companies that own cryptocurrencies,” the bank said in a statement. It did not disclose the loan amount. The bank said it used its own crypto custody product, Rutoken, to hold the bitcoin used as collateral for the crypto loan.
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Russia’s financial system is reportedly coming under more strain as Moscow’s war on Ukraine nears the end of its fourth full year, Fortune reported. The White House is seeking to revive peace talks this weekend with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky due to meet President Donald Trump in Florida on Sunday. Russian forces stepped up their bombardment of Ukraine ahead of the meeting, but prolonged fighting presents risks for the economy. “A banking crisis is possible,” a Russian official told the Washington Post recently on condition of anonymity.
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Russia’s central bank laid out a proposed framework that would legalize and regulate cryptocurrency trading for both individuals and institutions, continuing its softening stance toward cryptocurrencies. However, it continues to caution that investing in crypto carries risks, including potential losses, CoinDesk.com reported. “They are not issued or guaranteed by any jurisdiction and are subject to increased volatility and sanctions risks,” the central bank’s press release said.
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