The Russian government has decided that it is time to act tougher. The crypt was officially banned for paying for purchases. But in addition to the ban, they decided to add a "negative" motivation in the form of fines. And here they are: from 100 thousand for individuals and up to 1 million for legal entities.

Why now?

The law banning cryptocurrencies has been scaring rather than actually acting for the past three years. But the crypt has become a popular alternative for many areas, for example, for IT professionals and when paying for digital services from abroad. The government noticed that the ban could be circumvented (especially in games, online education, and small payments abroad), and decided to move on to specific measures.

In early autumn, the State Duma will discuss amendments with serious fines. For individuals – from 100 to 200 thousand. For legal entities – from 700 thousand to 1 million. According to Anatoly Aksakov, the goal is not just to talk about illegality, but to make it economically unprofitable.

Instead of "transparency," the government may get the opposite effect – a sharp increase in shadow financial transactions that will be difficult to track. The price for such strict control may be higher than the expected fines. And an ordinary person, trapped by prohibitions, will be left alone with a choice: to abandon part of the digital world or to take risks, knowing that the price of risk is now very high.