SIRIUS (Federal Territory), October 9. /TASS/. Around 20 mln Russians use cryptocurrency for various purposes, according to Russian Deputy Finance Minister Ivan Chebeskov.

"Our position remains unchanged. We recognize that crypto exists - that much is clear. It took some time to reach that understanding. We have millions of citizens, by some estimates 20 mln, who use cryptocurrency for various purposes. Since they are already using it, we need our own infrastructure to protect citizens and to have both economic and technological benefits," Chebeskov said.

According to data from the Bank of Russia, estimated balances held by Russian citizens on cryptocurrency exchange wallets reached 827 bln rubles ($10.15 bln) at the end of March 2025 — an increase of 27% compared with the same period in 2024. The majority of these holdings at the end of the Q1 were in Bitcoin (62.1%), followed by Ethereum (22%) and stablecoins USDT and USDC (15.9%).

The regulator also announced that it will conduct a survey of cryptocurrency investments and crypto company lending between January and February 2026.