Is it legal in Russia to pay employees’ salaries in cryptocurrency?

According to Article 131 of the Labor Code of the Russian Federation, wages must be paid in monetary form in the currency of the Russian Federation, that is, in rubles. This provision is mandatory and does not allow exceptions, including alternative forms of payment such as cryptocurrency.Federal legislation also explicitly prohibits the use of digital currency as a means of payment within the territory of the Russian Federation (Part 5, Article 14 of Federal Law No. 259-FZ dated July 31, 2020). Therefore, payment of wages in cryptocurrency in Russia is illegal, even if the employee formally consents to it.Violation of the wage payment procedure may result in administrative and labor liabilities for the employer, including fines and inspections by the labor inspectorate and tax authorities.