Russians Triple Their Investments in Cryptocurrencies

Residents of Russia have tripled their investments in cryptocurrencies over the past three years, according to Rossiyskaya Gazeta, citing data from the central bank.

In 2022, the median investment in digital assets per household was 18,000 rubles, which increased to 45,000 rubles in 2024.

The average investment in cryptocurrencies over three years decreased from 245,000 to 189,000 rubles, indicating a growing number of investors. Nevertheless, only 0.5% of households hold such assets.

The regulator also recorded a sixfold increase in investments in metal accounts—from a median of 6,000 rubles in 2022 to 38,000 rubles in 2024. The central bank attributed this rise partly to the increase in gold prices.

Overall, the share of households with any financial assets grew from 72.9% to 75.5% over three years, primarily in ordinary bank accounts and deposits.

Earlier in the second and third quarters of 2024, the central bank estimated the volume of cryptocurrency transactions conducted by Russians at 4.8 trillion rubles. However, as of September, Russians’ balances on cryptocurrency exchanges had decreased by 15.8% compared to March, amounting to 651 billion rubles.

Last autumn, the regulator required 19 credit and financial institutions to verify cross-border transfers by resident individuals related to cryptocurrency purchases.