RUSSIA’S CENTRAL BANK SAYS COINS IN A LICENSED ACCOUNT CANNOT MOVE TO THE OWNER’S OWN WALLET — OR TO ANYONE ELSE — DIRECT P2P TRADES END JULY 1, 2027

The Bank of Russia updated its crypto FAQ on October 12, 2026. Two answers settle where a Russian’s bitcoin can go. May an individual move digital currency from a digital account to a non-custodial wallet that belongs to the same person? The answer is no, under Part 9 of Article 31 of Federal Law 282-FZ. May one individual send digital currency to another through addresses run by a digital depository? Also no, under Part 5, including after a deal between them.

A third answer sets a date. Direct deals between individuals, P2P, stay legal only until July 1, 2027. After that, residents may trade digital currency only through licensed organizers, such as brokers and exchanges registered with the Bank of Russia. Cointelegraph reported the change on October 15, 2026. It also reported that the central bank cleared Sberbank to run crypto exchange services on October 12, the story Mempolitics covered on October 14.

Put the answers together. A bitcoin bought through a licensed Russian account cannot leave for the buyer’s own keys and cannot be sent to another person. From July 1, 2027, it cannot be bought legally any other way. The coin is real. The holder owns a line on a depository’s books. That is custody by law, not by choice, and a seizure needs no knock at the door when the keys never left the depository.

The FAQ does not say what happens to coins already in self-custody, and it names no penalty. Bitcoin does not check passports. A key held by its owner still signs. The law only decides whether signing is legal. At the time of this writing, bitcoin was $82,238.