A bill on the procedure for the confiscation of cryptocurrency has been submitted to the State Duma of Russia.

GateUser-f090498e · 2025-04-25T08:44:31+00:00

The proposed law aims to address the absence of cryptocurrency status in criminal law, facilitating investigations. The bill introduces procedures for handling and preserving digital assets during investigations, emphasizing the need for specialists and security measures to safeguard them effectively. Additionally, the law prohibits any transactions involving seized cryptocurrency to ensure asset security. Storage, accounting, and transfer protocols for seized digital currency will be outlined in separate regulations. Comparatively, Russia's cryptocurrency regulation is noted to be more liberal than in other countries.

GateUser-f090498e

2025-04-25 08:44:31

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The explanatory note states that cryptocurrency is already considered property, but only within the framework of legislation on combating money laundering. However, in criminal law, such status is absent, which complicates the investigation of crimes committed using digital currencies.

The bill proposes to supplement the criminal procedure code (UПК) with a new article 164(2), which will define the procedure for the actions of investigators or interrogators when identifying cryptocurrency. If it is subject to seizure and recognition as evidence in the investigation, actions with it will be carried out with the participation of a specialist who will determine measures to ensure the safety of assets taking into account their technical characteristics.

In addition, the bill introduces a provision stating that the arrest of cryptocurrency means a ban on conducting any operations with it, as the seizure of a physical carrier or transfer to another address does not guarantee the safety of digital assets. As for the procedure for storing, accounting, and transferring seized digital currency, it is planned to be enshrined in separate regulatory acts.

Earlier, Osman Kabaloev, Deputy Director of the Financial Policy Department of the Ministry of Finance of the Russian Federation, stated that the regulation of digital assets in Russia is more liberal compared to other countries.

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