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14 Apr 2026, 10:32

Moscow prepares fines and prison terms for illegal crypto transactions

The authorities in Russia intend to severely punish any cryptocurrency operations conducted outside the framework of the country’s upcoming regulations. The penalties approved by the executive power in Moscow include prison sentences of up to seven years as well as stiff fines that can reach a million rubles. Russian government approves measures to combat illegal crypto turnover A bill introducing criminal liability for illegal circulation of digital currency in Russia has been given the nod by the Russian cabinet of ministers. The government’s legislative commission approved it at a meeting on Monday, the Interfax news agency reported, quoting a knowledgeable source. The draft law adds a new article to Russia’s Criminal Code, introducing financial and criminal penalties for such offenses as part of the comprehensive regulation of the market. Persons implicated in smaller crimes will be fined between 100,000 and 300,000 rubles (nearly $4,000), or an amount equal to their income for up to two years. Penalties in these cases may also include forced labor or imprisonment for up to four years, the source familiar with the legal document detailed. Punishment will be much harsher for participants in organized crime groups that have inflicted large-scale financial damage or generated significant illicit income. Convicted individuals may get up to seven years in prison, five years of forced labor, and fines can be as high as 1 million rubles (over $13,000), according to the legislation. Alternatively, the financial penalty may be equal to the total amount of the person’s wages or other income from a period of up to five years, the law further stipulates. The amendment defines anything above 3.5 million rubles as major financial damage or income and amounts exceeding 13.5 million rubles as especially large damage or income. Preliminary investigations of criminal cases under the new article will be carried out by the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation and the Federal Security Service (FSB). Moscow moves to regulate crypto transactions in Russia’s economy The bill has been drafted by the Ministry of Finance as part of a government plan to bring a number of sectors, including the crypto market, out of the shadow economy. It defines criminal liability for cryptocurrency operations as “liability for organizing digital currency circulation without registration or a license from the Bank of Russia.” “Illegal cryptocurrency circulation refers to the activity of organizing the circulation of digital currency in violation of Russian law,” explained Vladimir Gruzdev, chairman of the Board of the Association of Russian Lawyers, who commented for the business news portal RBC. This particular piece of legislation comes after the government recently submitted a set of draft laws designed to comprehensively regulate crypto transactions in the country. The legislative package includes the bill on “On Digital Currency and Digital Rights,” which introduces licensing for crypto exchanges and depositories and regulates coin trading and investment, expanding access to include non-qualified investors. These laws are expected to be adopted and enforced by July 1, 2026, while the changes made with the latest bill should come into force on July 1, 2027. While the long-awaited legislation marks a turning point for Russia’s attitude towards decentralized digital assets, critics say it will drop an iron curtain on the crypto market. Besides indications that Moscow is preparing to restrict access to global exchanges, it also plans to obligate Russians to report their foreign crypto wallets to Russia’s Federal Tax Service (FNS). Failure to do the latter will also result in fines, according to a recent article by local crypto news outlet Bits.media. A survey revealed last week that about a third of Russians believe cryptocurrency should be recognized as property and regulated like other assets such as real estate and bank deposits. However, almost as many respondents fear the new regulations will bring excessive government control, too. Nevertheless, 36% of those polled said they were willing to invest in crypto. If you want a calmer entry point into DeFi crypto without the usual hype, start with this free video.

14 Apr 2026, 10:30

XRP Sentiment Is Sitting At Levels That Have Led To A Price Rally, But Is This Time Different?

XRP sentiment among retail investors has declined to severe lows as fear and doubt continue to plague the market. The cryptocurrency has seen continuous declines in its price since reaching a high above $3 in 2025. This poor performance has triggered rapid sell-offs and weakened XRP’s market structure to the point that its short-term direction remains uncertain. Nevertheless, new reports suggest that XRP is now sitting at sentiment levels that previously preceded massive price rallies. If historical trends repeat perfectly, the cryptocurrency could be gearing up for a highly anticipated price reversal. Sentiment Hit Levels Tied To Past Rallies In an X post on April 13, the market intelligence platform Santiment disclosed that XRP’s Fear, Uncertainty, and Doubt (FUD) has reached its third-highest level in the past two years. Retail investors appear to be shifting away from the cryptocurrency as its price has continued to trend downward and consolidate at lower levels for months. Related Reading: It’s Too Early For A Bitcoin Price Bottom, Here’s What You Should Be Looking At Interestingly, Santiment’s data shows that the rising fear and uncertainty over XRP’s price outlook may not be entirely negative. In the X post, Santiment noted that historically, when bullish comments about XRP get replaced by this high level of bearishness, the probability of a relief rally increases significantly. The market intelligence platform noted that the reason for this contradictory reaction is that prices tend to move in the opposite direction of the crowd’s expectations. The accompanying chart shows that in February 2025, XRP experienced similar levels of bearishness and then rebounded sharply. The same trend was observed in October 2025, before the cryptocurrency skyrocketed. With most retail investors finally turning their backs on XRP after it crashed by more than 63% in nine months, Santiment reveals that this kind of signal could be capitalized on if investors wait longer. If historical trends play out as the market intelligence platform suggests, then XRP could be preparing for a major bullish reversal soon. XRP Sparks Another Brief Rally XRP has experienced a brief bounce, climbing more than 3% in the last 24 hours and over 4% over the past seven days. However, this increase has been unable to drive its price back toward the $1.4 resistance level. Related Reading: Why A Bitcoin Price Breakdown To $50,000 Could Be Important For Long-Term Bullishness Data from CoinMarketCap shows that the XRP price rose this week primarily due to a broader crypto rally led by Bitcoin. The surge in Bitcoin’s price was fueled by dovish signals from the Bank of Japan (BOJ) that slightly eased macro pressure on risk assets. Aside from these developments, XRP currently lacks strong bullish catalysts to drive its price higher. The cryptocurrency’s weak structure, combined with ongoing geopolitical tensions, has been a major contributor to investors’ negative sentiment and growing panic. Featured image from Dall.E, chart from TradingView.com

14 Apr 2026, 10:30

Michael Saylor adds 13,927 BTC – Strategy’s treasury now has 780,897 Bitcoin

How did $1 billion of Bitcoin flip MSTR stock from bearish to bullish in just 24 hours?

14 Apr 2026, 10:30

Bitcoin tests $75,000 as $200 million in shorts face liquidation risk

Bitcoin price approaches $75,000 level with $200 million in shorts at risk of liquidation, rising open interest and shifting volatility dynamics in focus.

14 Apr 2026, 10:29

Bitcoin Soars to Monthly Peak at $75K, Ethereum Touches $2.4K: Market Watch

Bitcoin’s price has added over $4,000 in the past 24 hours as the asset just touched a monthly peak of $75,000. Most altcoins have followed suit, which has helped the total crypto market cap add $100 billion in a day. BTC Sees Monthly Peak The primary cryptocurrency exploded at the beginning of the previous business week after the US and Iran reached a two-week ceasefire. The asset rocketed from $68,000 to a then-local peak of $73,000 in just a day. After a brief retracement, it went back on the offensive at the end of the week as the two sides prepared for peace talks in Pakistan. Bitcoin rose to almost $74,000 on Saturday before the actual meeting took place. Once it became known that the delegations from the two nations failed to reach an agreement over the nuclear side, BTC dumped once again, slipping to $70,500. However, the bulls intervened and helped it maintain the $70,000 level. The past 12 hours or so have been a lot more positive following new reports that Iran and the US could reopen negotiations soon. Bitcoin reacted with another price pump that drove it to $75,000 for the first time since March 17. Its market capitalization has risen to $1.5 trillion, while its dominance over the alts has pumped to 57.3% on CG. BTCUSD April 14. Source: TradingView ETH Aims at $2.4K Most altcoins have turned green over the past day, with ETH leading the charge from the larger caps. It has rocketed by over 9% in the past day and touched $2,400 earlier today for the first time in over two months. Ripple’s token is up by 3.5%, similar to BNB as both assets continue their fight for the fourth spot. HYPE, LINK, CC, RAIN, PEPE, UNI, and SUI have marked impressive gains as well, but RAVE has stolen the show with another 60% surge that has driven it to over $14 as of now. The cumulative market cap of all crypto assets has added over $100 billion in a day and now sits above $2.6 trillion on CG. Cryptocurrency Market Overview April 14. Source: QuantifyCrypto The post Bitcoin Soars to Monthly Peak at $75K, Ethereum Touches $2.4K: Market Watch appeared first on CryptoPotato .

14 Apr 2026, 10:28

200% XRP Ledger Skyrocketing Out of the Blue: What's Behind XRP Network's Unexpected Surge?

XRP Ledger saw a surge in transactional activity that we certainly didn't expect: what does it truly bring?