{"id":90934,"date":"2025-11-12T16:05:04","date_gmt":"2025-11-12T13:05:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/forklog.com\/en\/?p=90934"},"modified":"2025-12-04T06:50:32","modified_gmt":"2025-12-04T03:50:32","slug":"the-eu-brings-down-the-banhammer-on-russian-crypto-users","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/forklog.com\/en\/the-eu-brings-down-the-banhammer-on-russian-crypto-users\/","title":{"rendered":"How EU Crypto Sanctions Are Hitting Ordinary Russians"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>At the end of October, Russia\u2019s crypto community was reminded that the European Union intends to crack down on sanctions evasion via digital currencies. As so often, the restrictions hit ordinary users first.<\/p>\n<p>After the EU\u2019s 19th sanctions package, platforms such as Revolut and Bybit EU began cutting off customers from Russia. We examine how strict and unambiguous the document\u2019s wording is, and how the current world order is bearing on the digital-asset industry.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>The substance and interpretation of the bans<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>Announcing the latest package, European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen <a href=\"https:\/\/forklog.com\/en\/news\/eu-to-impose-sanctions-on-russian-crypto-platforms-for-the-first-time\">said<\/a> it was \u201caimed at the financial loopholes that Russia uses to evade restrictions.\u201d For the first time, the curbs were extended to crypto platforms.<\/p>\n<p>The official document was <a href=\"https:\/\/eur-lex.europa.eu\/legal-content\/EN\/TXT\/PDF\/?uri=OJ:L_202502033\">published<\/a> on October 23. Beyond import and personal sanctions, its provisions prohibit EU-licensed venues from providing services to residents of the Russian Federation.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"429\" src=\"https:\/\/forklog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/img-ee22daced25e57eb-9344926647578093-1024x429.png\" alt=\"image\" class=\"wp-image-269522\" srcset=\"https:\/\/forklog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/img-ee22daced25e57eb-9344926647578093-1024x429.png 1024w, https:\/\/forklog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/img-ee22daced25e57eb-9344926647578093-300x126.png 300w, https:\/\/forklog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/img-ee22daced25e57eb-9344926647578093-768x322.png 768w, https:\/\/forklog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/img-ee22daced25e57eb-9344926647578093.png 1122w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Source: text of the EU\u2019s 19th sanctions package against Russia.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p>\u201cIt is prohibited to provide, directly or indirectly, [crypto-asset-related services] to citizens of the Russian Federation or natural persons residing in Russia, as well as legal persons, entities or bodies established in the country,\u201d paragraph 5b(2) states.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>Prohibited services include:<\/p>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>use of any crypto-asset services (as defined by the EU);<\/li>\n<li>provision of payment instruments;<\/li>\n<li>issuance of electronic money.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>In effect, any European crypto-asset service provider (CASP) operating under <a href=\"https:\/\/forklog.com\/en\/news\/what-is-markets-in-crypto-assets-mica\">MiCA<\/a> must cease serving Russian users.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p>\u201cThe wording is fairly unambiguous. When we talk about the European entities of crypto exchanges, they are obliged to comply with the 19th package; this is all clear-cut,\u201d Andrey Tugarin, founder of law firm GMT Legal, told ForkLog.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>He noted that the ban was not sudden. It is a logical continuation of measures <a href=\"https:\/\/forklog.com\/en\/news\/eu-bans-cryptocurrency-services-for-russian-and-belarusian-citizens\">introduced<\/a> back in April 2022, which restricted custody services for Russians.<\/p>\n<p>In recent years, passing <span data-descr=\"know your customer\" class=\"old_tooltip\">KYC<\/span> verification on a European platform with Russian documents was already extremely difficult; the 19th package has put a full stop to that, Tugarin stressed.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Real-world cases<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>In late October and early September, several media outlets began highlighting instances of Russian users being blocked on European exchanges. Headlines featured the European division of Bybit \u2014 Bybit EU \u2014 and the British online bank Revolut.<\/p>\n<p>We have already covered this in a <a href=\"https:\/\/forklog.com\/en\/news\/russians-report-account-freezes-at-bybit-eu-and-revolut\">news report<\/a>, but it is worth recapping the key points.<\/p>\n<p>Most complaints came from Russians and Belarusians residing in the EU. One affected user with a Russian passport had a residence permit in Europe but still failed re-verification.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p>\u201cRecently ByBit NL migrated to ByBit EU. And they asked me to pass KYC again. [\u2026] With the very same documents I used to verify before, they refused,\u201d the user described the problem.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>Customer support cited \u201cregulatory standards and possible risks.\u201d<\/p>\n<div class=\"wp-block-group is-nowrap is-layout-flex wp-container-core-group-is-layout-ad2f72ca wp-block-group-is-layout-flex\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/forklog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/img-b66fc52fc28b8c59-9344926877079663.webp\" alt=\"image\" class=\"wp-image-269524\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Source: Telegram channel OhMySwift.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/forklog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/img-a9926cf5503cf7dd-9344926710735192.webp\" alt=\"image\" class=\"wp-image-269525\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Source: Telegram channel OhMySwift.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<p>Under its updated policy, Bybit\u2019s European arm now bans registration by users with citizenship of Afghanistan, Belarus, Iran, North Korea, Russia and the United States.<\/p>\n<p>Revolut has been closing the accounts of Russians with EU residence permits on similar grounds, citing the new restrictions. Although the bank had previously opened accounts for such residents, from November 1 even existing clients began receiving closure notices.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full is-resized\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/forklog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/img-a66bf61416205822-9344926887404191.webp\" alt=\"image\" class=\"wp-image-269527\" style=\"width:463px;height:auto\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Screenshot of Revolut\u2019s letter. Source: <a href=\"https:\/\/compressed-harks-575253.appspot.com\/news\/2025\/11\/01\/revolut-vse\">\u00ab\u041c\u0435\u0434\u0438\u0430\u0437\u043e\u043d\u0430\u00bb<\/a>.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>ForkLog sought comment from both platforms but received a response only from Revolut\u2019s press office.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/forklog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/img-65d2a82f500aacb2-9344926579917496.webp\" alt=\"image\" class=\"wp-image-269526\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Revolut\u2019s response. Source: ForkLog.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p>\u201cAs a regulated financial institution around the world, Revolut must comply with the sanctions laws and regulations of the UN, the European Union, the United Kingdom, the United States and all other applicable laws and regulations in all jurisdictions in which the company operates. More detailed information on this can be found in Revolut\u2019s global sanctions policy,\u201d the letter says.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>The bank also made clear that the 19th package was the main reason.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Pre-emptive compliance<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>Traditionally, crypto platforms have been less quick to react to new laws. But the actions of Revolut and Bybit EU appear to have set a new standard for \u201cpre-emptive\u201d compliance among fintech firms in the EU.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p>\u201cCompliance in general should be pre-emptive; that is its essence. Compliance at European crypto exchanges had already been reacting to the receipt of assets from \u2018Russian wallets\u2019. The inflow of such assets was admitted by the exchange, but could then be frozen for an indefinite period and, in some cases, appropriated,\u201d the GMT Legal founder added.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>On the speed of decision-making, Tugarin noted: \u201cWell, at least not the same day.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>However, only divisions registered in EU jurisdictions observe the bloc\u2019s rules. For example, Bybit\u2019s global arm still accepts Russians.<\/p>\n<p>As of September, the share of traffic from Russia on the platform <a href=\"https:\/\/wublock.substack.com\/p\/cex-data-report-in-september-spot\">reached<\/a> 29%.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full is-resized\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/forklog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/img-615d350307c9568c-9344926830385377.webp\" alt=\"image\" class=\"wp-image-269523\" style=\"width:500px;height:auto\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Source: WuBlockchain.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Food for thought<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>Beyond the obvious inconveniences, the sanctions prompt reflection on deeper and longer-term consequences.<\/p>\n<p>Many people now use cryptocurrency to send funds to family and friends across borders. For them, a host of new problems arises: at a minimum, they will have to find a platform that allows Russians to register.<\/p>\n<p>In the worst case, users will have to rely on less reliable P2P venues and exchangers.<\/p>\n<p>At the same time, exchanges face a liquidity dilemma. Russia is far from a small user base, and its traders constantly look for loopholes. Bybit could lose around a third of its trading volume if it fully shuts out clients from Russia and Belarus, as Binance <a href=\"https:\/\/forklog.com\/en\/news\/in-russia-a-proposal-to-block-binance-over-restrictions-on-russians\">did<\/a> in 2023.<\/p>\n<p>For the market\u2019s mastodons, the loss of a slice of traffic means little. But for smaller exchanges, shedding part of their clientele could seriously hit the business.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>***<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>The restrictions have clearly complicated operations for Russians and Belarusians living in Europe, yet they have little direct impact within the sanctioned countries themselves.<\/p>\n<p>We may never know how effective these bans truly are, but understanding their substance and nuances is vital to adapt to future shocks.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>We assess how clear-cut the EU\u2019s 19th sanctions package is, and how the current world order is affecting the digital-asset industry.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":90935,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"select":"1","news_style_id":"1","cryptorium_level":"","_short_excerpt_text":"How sanctions shut Russians out of Europe\u2019s crypto exchanges","creation_source":"ai_translated","_metatest_mainpost_news_update":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1144],"tags":[733,27,686],"class_list":["post-90934","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-longreads","tag-europe","tag-russia","tag-sanctions"],"aioseo_notices":[],"amp_enabled":true,"views":"529","promo_type":"1","layout_type":"1","short_excerpt":"How sanctions shut Russians out of Europe\u2019s crypto exchanges","is_update":"0","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/forklog.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/90934","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/forklog.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/forklog.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/forklog.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/forklog.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=90934"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/forklog.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/90934\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":91752,"href":"https:\/\/forklog.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/90934\/revisions\/91752"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/forklog.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/90935"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/forklog.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=90934"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/forklog.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=90934"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/forklog.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=90934"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}