On December 30, 2025, Russia's Finance Minister Anton Siluanov said his ministry and the Central Bank of Russia are working on rules to let ordinary, non-qualified investors legally buy cryptocurrencies under volume limits. The draft framework is expected to be reviewed by the government, with related legislation on market access and criminal liability for illegal crypto services targeted for adoption by 2026 and 2027. Regulators also plan to recognize crypto and stablecoins as currency assets while keeping a cautious stance on their use as investment instruments.

Russia ended 2025 with a marked shift in crypto policy, capped by the central bank's late‑December concept for comprehensive regulation. Mining gained legal status in late 2024, and in March 2025 an experimental regime enabled limited cross‑border crypto use, with derivatives allowed in May. A full framework is targeted for adoption by July 1, 2026.

EU crypto reporting under DAC8 begins January 1, with providers required to share user and transaction data and a compliance deadline on July 1, 2026. Several European jurisdictions still exempt long‑term holdings, while others introduce new levies such as Slovenia's 25% and Cyprus's 8%. Asia features 0% regimes in the UAE and targeted relief in Thailand.

Kazakhstan’s central bank has approved three pilots, including tokenizing refined gold and testing crypto payments via QR codes, with a third focused on a tenge-pegged stablecoin. The nation plans a $1 billion crypto reserve, with $300 million earmarked, and gold holdings increased by at least 32 tonnes this year. A regulator stated cryptocurrencies cannot be used for payments.

On December 26, 2025, Sberbank said it issued a pilot corporate loan to Intelion Data JSC secured by cryptocurrency mined in Russia. The bank used its Rutoken storage to hold the pledged assets and framed the test as groundwork for future rules, while lawmakers target July 1, 2026 for adopting comprehensive crypto regulation in the country.

Russian banking group Sberbank is examining the launch of ruble loans secured by cryptocurrency, according to Deputy Chairman Anatoly Popov. The move follows a new regulatory concept from the Central Bank of Russia, which plans to recognize cryptocurrencies and stablecoins as currency assets and broaden access for retail investors by July 1, 2026. Sberbank is also expanding activity on its digital asset platform, where it has supported over 160 issues of digital financial assets, including the country's first real estate and oil tokens.

According to the Central Bank of Lithuania, crypto service providers must obtain a MiCA license by December 31, 2025, or operating without authorization will be treated as illegal from January 1. The regulator warns of fines, website blocking, and possible criminal liability, while only about 30 applicants have filed out of more than 370 registered firms.

Alfa-Bank launched a fuel-linked digital financial asset, with purchases open from December 23 to 26 in Moscow and the Moscow Region. The token's nominal value is 6,650 rubles and offers a 20% fixed annual yield, maturing between March 1 and 15 next year with a choice of cash plus interest or a 100-liter fuel voucher.

The Central Bank of Russia outlined a framework to classify cryptocurrencies and stablecoins as currency assets and to widen investor access. Retail participants would face testing and a 300,000 rubles annually limit via one intermediary, while qualified investors could buy most tokens except anonymous coins. Draft laws are targeted by July 1, 2026, with additional liability rules by July 2027.