Russian banks have started restricting suspicious transfers to crypto exchanges in Belarus and other CIS countries. The reason is a popular scheme for earning money by reselling USDT cryptocurrency for cash, which has attracted the attention of the Central Bank. The regulator believes that such operations can be used to legalize money of unknown origin.
The essence of the scheme lies in the exchange rate difference. A participant transfers rubles to a foreign platform, buys USDT, and then sells the cryptocurrency for cash in Russia. The received money is sent back to the exchange, and the cycle repeats. According to market participants, one such operation can yield a profit of 2%, and some traders conduct several transactions per week.
Banks are already blocking individual transfers, especially if the client deposited an equivalent amount in cash before sending funds to a foreign crypto platform. Unblocking operations can be difficult: Russian crypto exchangers do not always provide documents confirming the origin of the money and the legality of the transactions.
Cryptocurrency arbitrage itself is not prohibited in Russia, but selling USDT for cash raises legal questions. Experts warn of possible fines for violating currency legislation. However, there are no official clarifications on this specific scheme yet, nor is there established judicial practice.
According to market participants, the popularity of such earnings is already declining due to increased banking control. Experts also predict that from July 1, 2027, the old scheme will cease to work due to new requirements for cryptocurrency operations.