The Moscow Exchange, Russia’s largest exchange group, announced the launch of its Bitcoin futures contract on June 4, 2025. The new derivatives allow qualified Russian investors to be exposed to Bitcoin prices without directly owning them.
Bitcoin futures contracts have cash set-up in the Russian ruble and are linked to the iShares Bitcoin Trust ETF (IBIT) that trades on US exchanges. The IBIT ETF tracks the price of Bitcoin, with each share representing 0.00068 Bitcoin.
The new Bitcoin futures trading began on Wednesday, with the first contract expired in September 2025. Each futures contract is ordered in US dollars per bitcoin, but settled in the ruble.
The launch of Bitcoin futures in the Moscow exchange comes after growing interest from Russian financial institutions in exposing Bitcoin. In May, the Russian central bank formally allowed qualified investors to provide crypto-related securities and derivatives. Prior to this, direct investment in Bitcoin was discouraged.
Russia’s largest bank, Sberbank, has announced plans to unveil its own Bitcoin futures product in addition to offering the Moscow Exchange. Banks are launching notes traded on exchanges that track Bitcoin prices without direct ownership.
Bitcoin futures and other crypto derivatives have recently been finding intriguing interest as the Bitcoin and the crypto industry matures. The move comes as the ever-growing countries have begun to add bitcoin to their reserves.
As Bitcoin adoption increases, investors and financial institutions are seeking more routes to being exposed to Bitcoin. The launch of futures on the Moscow Exchange provides regulated Bitcoin exposure to qualified Russian investors. However, direct ownership of “physical” Bitcoin remains off limits for most people in the traditional Russian financial sector.
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