Russia’s finance ministry and central bank are reportedly planning to launch a cryptocurrency exchange for qualified investors under an experimental legal regime. The platform will target “super-qualified investors,” as stated by Finance Minister Anton Siluanov during a ministry meeting, according to reports from Russian media group RBC and Russian news agency Interfax. Siluanov mentioned that the exchange, in collaboration with the central bank, aims to legalize crypto assets and bring crypto operations out of the shadows. The Russian central bank proposed on March 12 to allow a limited number of Russian investors meeting specific asset thresholds to trade cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin (BTC) under a three-year experimental regime. This proposal introduced a new investor category called super-qualified investors, defined by wealth and income thresholds. The exact definition of a super-qualified investor is still under discussion, as confirmed by Osman Kabaloev, the deputy director of the Finance Ministry’s financial policy department. Despite the ban on using cryptocurrencies for payments under Russia’s first crypto law, the country is exploring other avenues in the crypto space. Kabaloev also suggested the creation of a Russian government crypto fund using assets seized from criminal proceedings. Moreover, there are ongoing discussions on recognizing crypto as property for criminal procedure legislation. Russia seems to be making significant strides in the crypto sector, with plans for a stablecoin and a government-backed crypto exchange for qualified investors.