As adoption increases, Russians question whether pensions can be paid in Crypto.
Questions about whether it is possible to pay pensions in crypto have become one of the informal questions received by the Social Fund of Russia, the government institution responsible for managing Russia's public pension system.
In the year By 2025, the Social Fund's call center will handle around 37 million calls, most of which are related to routine issues such as pensions, benefits and maternity capital. However, operators are increasingly asking questions about digital assets, according to a Saturday report from Rossiyskaya Gazeta (Russian Gazette), the official daily newspaper of the Russian government.
Among the most common crypto-related questions are whether Russian citizens can receive pension payments in cryptocurrency and whether income from crypto mining is included in the calculation of social benefits. The fund says these requests are sufficiently visible to stand out from the overall call volume.
In response, the operators said that all pensions and social payments are given in rubles, and digital assets fall outside the payment of the social fund. He added that issues related to cryptocurrency income and taxes are handled by the Russian Federal Tax Service, not the pension authorities.
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Russia overtakes UK, Germany in crypto adoption
According to Cointelegraph, Russia has emerged as Europe's largest crypto market, surpassing countries such as the United Kingdom and Germany, according to an October report by Chinalysis. According to the study, Russia received $376.3 billion in cryptocurrency between July 2024 and June 2025, giving it a clear lead over the United Kingdom, which recorded $273.2 billion in the same period.
The report attributes Russia's rise to institutional activity and widespread use of decentralized finance. Large crypto transfers of more than $10 million have increased by 86% year-on-year, almost double the rate of growth seen in the rest of Europe. Overall, crypto inflows into Russia rose 48 percent year-on-year, widening the gap with other major European economies.
Retail usage and DeFi adoption have played a key role. Russia has seen stronger growth than the rest of Europe in the retail and wholesale sectors, with Diffie activity expected to rise eightfold by early 2025.
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Russia proposes access to crypto for retail investors
Last month, the Bank of Russia proposed a policy change that would allow unqualified investors to buy certain cryptocurrencies under strict conditions.
Retail investors will be allowed to buy a limited amount of liquid crypto assets after passing a knowledge test, with annual investments of 300,000 rubles ($3,834). Eligible investors will get broad access to the crypto market, excluding privacy coins, and will be required to complete a knowledge assessment.
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