Are cryptocurrency exchangers legal?

Within the territory of the Russian Federation, the creation and operation of cryptocurrency exchangers (exchange offices) in the traditional sense are neither regulated nor permitted by law. Russian legislation, in particular Federal Law No. 259-FZ, does not provide a separate legal regime for the activities of such services if they accept digital currency as a means of payment, which is prohibited in the territory of the Russian Federation (Part 5, Article 14 of the Law). At the same time, the use of foreign exchangers operating under foreign jurisdictions is not prohibited for Russian citizens and companies—provided that the transactions do not violate domestic prohibitions (for example, they are not used for payment of goods and services within the Russian Federation) and that tax obligations are fulfilled. Thus, foreign exchangers are formally legal for users from Russia, whereas the creation and conduct of similar activities within Russia fall outside the legal framework and potentially pose risks for the organizers.