Russia's criminal liability bill for crypto transactions delayed until after Duma elections

Odaily Planet Daily News: Anatoly Aksakov, Chairman of the Financial Market Committee of the Russian State Duma, stated that the bill on criminal liability for illegal cryptocurrency transactions will be postponed until after the new Duma elections. The spring session ends on July 27, with lawmakers on recess in August and September; the bill is expected to advance in the autumn session. The bill passed its first reading in early July, imposing fines and up to seven years' imprisonment, with penalties set to take effect on July 1, 2027. Aksakov stated that Russians can only buy and sell cryptocurrencies through institutions registered with the central bank, and direct P2P transactions will face criminal liability. However, he denied that the law targets ordinary exchangers and P2P users. Meanwhile, the Russian government's "Digital Currency and Digital Rights Bill" has also been delayed, originally scheduled to take effect on July 1, then postponed to September 1. The Duma election voting will conclude on September 20.