For operations with crypto - 4 years, for mining - 5 years. The main thing from the Greenhouse newsletter #5

 This is a short version of the Social Technologies Greenhouses newsletter. Every week we talk about the most important things in the field of technology and security: how to protect your data, finances and yourself in the face of lockdowns, shutdowns and financial restrictions. A limited version of the newsletter is published on the website. Do you want to receive the full amount? Subscribe!

The government has come up with amendments to the Criminal Code, according to which for the illegal organization of cryptocurrency circulation there will be a fine of up to 300 thousand rubles or even imprisonment for up to four years.

The bill defines such an “illegal organization” as:

• storage;
• transfers, purchase and sale and exchange;
• operation of services that provide turnover.

At the same time, a package of amendments to the Criminal Code and the Code of Administrative Offenses on punishment for illegal (from the point of view of the Russian authorities) exchange and mining is already in the State Duma and awaiting consideration. For this - up to 5 years in prison.

At the same time, they will not punish you for simply sending a couple of thousand rubles. Both “circulation of digital currency without registration and a license from the Central Bank” and “illegal mining” will be prosecuted only if large-scale damage is caused or large-scale income is received. For turnover, damage from 3.5 million rubles is considered large, for mining - from 13.5 million rubles.

However, as the lawyers of the “First Department” project note , it is easy to reach the threshold of major damage if an exchanger is involved in this: “An exchanger who bought 40–50 thousand USDT and sold them with a 1% markup is already beyond the threshold of the first composition, and any scheme with an operator, manager and courier immediately falls under the criteria of a “group of persons”.”

Both packages of amendments are going to come into force on July 1, 2027.

It is not yet known how hard this could hit secure donation systems using cryptocurrencies. Individual transactions do not pose a threat to those who throw currency to each other, but the intermediary can be punished if he does not cooperate with the authorities. But even the presence of an article of the Criminal Code will be an obstacle for private donors. It is still unknown how the Investigative Committee and the FSB will calculate the damage, and in general how law enforcement will work under both articles. In addition, the number of donations may decrease simply because people do not want to take risks.

This is the web version of the “Greenhouses of Social Technologies” newsletter. Starting this Monday, every week we talk about the most important things in the field of technology and security: how to protect your data, finances and yourself in the face of lockdowns, shutdowns and financial restrictions. A limited version of the newsletter is published on the website. Do you want to receive the full amount? Subscribe!