The Moscow Exchange (MOEX) is preparing to begin cryptocurrency transactions on December 1, following tests with professional market participants, according to Interfax. Boris Blokhin, the exchange’s senior managing director for sales and business development, said the service would use a partner settlement digital depository where market participants open accounts.
This structure means a trade may not automatically deliver transferable coins. A buyer could receive direct wallet ownership, a custodial account balance, or listed crypto exposure such as futures. MOEX already offers Bitcoin and Ether futures, which track price movements without giving holders onchain withdrawal rights. The reported depository model could similarly create a claim against market infrastructure rather than a private-key wallet balance.
For retail access, unqualified investors would reportedly be allowed to buy Bitcoin, Ether and USDT through one intermediary, with purchases capped at 300,000 rubles per year. Qualified investors could access a wider range of cryptocurrencies traded on the exchange or over the counter without that limit.
MOEX has not yet published client documents clarifying whether accounts are segregated or omnibus, who bears custody risk, whether assets can leave the system, and what happens if a participant or custodian fails. Until those terms are released, the December launch remains a planned date rather than a complete description of ownership rights for crypto buyers.
