Crypto Law Profile

Russia Presidential Decree No. 778: Digital Asset Disclosure Measures

Russian decree integrating digital financial assets, digital rights and digital currency into public-official disclosures. Its special applicant notice window ran Jan. 1–June 30, 2021; related amendments to the anti-corruption framework remain in force.

Russia Effective Decree Jan 1, 2021

At a glance

Jurisdiction Russian Federation; federal presidential decree.
Current status In force; the standalone notification window ended June 30, 2021.
Effective dates Generally effective Jan. 1, 2021; one Appendix No. 2 amendment took effect July 1, 2021.
Covered persons Specified public-office applicants, federal civil servants, spouses and minor children.

Overview

Presidential Decree of the Russian Federation No. 778, signed on December 10, 2020, and generally effective from January 1, 2021, implemented disclosure-related provisions connected to Federal Law No. 259-FZ on digital financial assets and digital currency. As of June 23, 2026, the decree remains listed in force in a consolidated version amended on December 31, 2025. Its principal stand-alone notification period was temporary, running from January 1 through June 30, 2021, while a set of amendments to Russia’s public-sector anti-corruption framework had continuing legal effects.

Purpose and legal context

The decree was issued under Federal Law No. 273-FZ on combating corruption following the adoption of Federal Law No. 259-FZ. It did not establish a general disclosure requirement for every Russian cryptocurrency holder. Its direct filing rule focused on applicants for specified Russian state positions and federal civil-service posts, together with certain federal civil servants applying for posts covered by the existing income and property disclosure system.

Decree No. 778 also updated presidential anti-corruption instruments so that digital financial assets and digital currency could be addressed alongside more traditional property, financial interests and expenditure information. This distinction matters: the decree is primarily a public-integrity and officeholder-disclosure measure, not a comprehensive licensing, trading, payments or tax regime for the wider digital-asset market.

Who and what the decree covered

During the 2021 notification window, covered applicants were required to submit a prescribed notice together with the relevant income, property and liability statement. The notice extended beyond the applicant’s own holdings to assets belonging to a spouse and minor children. It covered four related categories:

  • digital financial assets;
  • digital rights combining digital financial assets with other digital rights;
  • utility digital rights; and
  • digital currency.

Prescribed data fields

Appendix No. 1 supplied the notification form. For digital financial assets, the form sought the asset name or designation, acquisition date, total quantity and information about the system operator. For utility digital rights, it sought a unique designation, acquisition date, investment amount and investment-platform operator information. For digital currency, it requested the currency name, acquisition date and total quantity.

Timing and reporting mechanics

The decree specified that the notification was to reflect holdings as of the first day of the month preceding the month in which the application documents were filed. The special filing period in paragraph 1 ended on June 30, 2021. The decree also recommended that federal state bodies, the Bank of Russia, regional and local authorities, state extra-budgetary funds and state corporations use its approach when exercising powers connected with income and property disclosure procedures.

Most provisions took effect on January 1, 2021. Point 6 of Appendix No. 2, which revised the standard income, expenditure, property and liability certificate, took effect on July 1, 2021. That phase-in allowed the broader declaration form to incorporate dedicated treatment of digital financial assets, digital rights and digital currency.

Continuing effects and current status

Appendix No. 2 made changes across several presidential anti-corruption acts. Among other things, it brought operators of information systems used to issue digital financial assets within certain verification-request procedures and added digital financial assets and digital currency to expenditure-control language. These amendments embedded digital-asset information into the established public-official disclosure and verification architecture.

The end of the 2021 notice window should not be treated as a wholesale repeal of Decree No. 778. A current consolidated version records an amendment by Presidential Decree No. 1009 of December 31, 2025. Effective January 1, 2026, that later decree repealed point 5 of Appendix No. 2, an amendment concerning publication of certain disclosure information, while leaving the decree otherwise listed in force. The most accurate profile status is therefore In force, qualified by noting that its one-time notification window has closed.

Scope limits

Decree No. 778 should be read with Federal Law No. 259-FZ and the current Russian anti-corruption disclosure rules. It does not, by itself, describe every present obligation affecting public officials or digital-asset holders, and it should not be used as a substitute for the current official text or professional legal advice.

Key provisions

Temporary applicant notification

From Jan. 1 to June 30, 2021, covered applicants and certain federal civil servants had to file a digital-asset notice with their income and property statement.

Disclosure & Marketing Jan 1, 2021 Source

Family and asset scope

The notice covered the filer, spouse and minor children, including digital financial assets, combined digital rights, utility digital rights and digital currency.

Disclosure & Marketing Jan 1, 2021 Source

Prescribed notification data

Appendix No. 1 recorded names or identifiers and acquisition dates; it used total quantity for digital assets and currency, investment amount for utility rights, and operator details.

Taxation & Reporting Jan 1, 2021 Source

Reporting snapshot and implementation

Holdings were reported as of the first day of the month before filing. Specified public bodies and state entities were advised to use the decree’s approach.

Taxation & Reporting Jan 1, 2021 Source

Anti-corruption framework amendments

Appendix No. 2 integrated digital assets into verification requests, expenditure controls and disclosure forms; one form amendment began July 1, 2021.

Enforcement & Asset Recovery Jan 1, 2021 Source

Timeline

  1. Federal Law No. 259-FZ adopted

    Federal Law No. 259-FZ established the digital-asset framework that Decree No. 778 was designed to implement.

    Enacted Source
  2. Decree No. 778 signed and published

    The president signed Decree No. 778 and the official legal portal published it.

    Enacted Source
  3. Main provisions took effect

    Most provisions took effect and the six-month special notification window opened.

    In force Source
  4. Special notification window closed

    The temporary notification period established by paragraph 1 closed.

    Expired Source
  5. Declaration-form amendment took effect

    Point 6 of Appendix No. 2, revising the standard declaration form, took effect.

    Effective Source
  6. Latest amendment became effective

    Decree No. 1009 repealed point 5 of Appendix No. 2 while leaving Decree No. 778 otherwise listed in force.

    In force Source

Who it affects

Actors

Bank of Russia, Federal civil service, President of the Russian Federation

Asset classes

Digital currency, Digital financial assets, Utility digital rights

Official sources

Editorial note

Original Russian title: О мерах по реализации отдельных положений Федерального закона «О цифровых финансовых активах, цифровой валюте и о внесении изменений в отдельные законодательные акты Российской Федерации».

The English title is an editorial translation. The decree’s January–June 2021 notice requirement was temporary; the instrument remains listed in force in a consolidated version amended through December 31, 2025. Informational only, not legal advice.