The mechanism involves Chinese or Indian buyers purchasing oil and depositing yuan or rupees into an offshore account owned by a middleman company. The middleman then converts the fiat currency into crypto and transfers it to an account in Russia, where it is exchanged into rubles.

While crypto-based oil payments are still a fraction of Russia’s $192 billion total oil trade, the practice is growing as sanctions bite. The trend highlights the utility of bitcoin and crypto in enabling transaction settlement for sanctioned nations. Iran and Venezuela have adopted similar crypto strategies. Bitcoin and crypto’s censorship resistance allows value transfer beyond the reach of sanctions.

In late 2024, Russia’s finance minister publicly endorsed using crypto in foreign trade. The Kremlin sees bitcoin and crypto as one of several effective strategies to overcome financial penalties imposed over the invasion of Ukraine. The Bank of Russia also recently proposed legalizing crypto investments for wealthy citizens.

However, Russia’s oil trade still relies primarily on fiat currencies. President Donald Trump’s administration is debating whether to ease some restrictions to improve relations with Moscow.

With the Ukraine conflict still unresolved, Russia’s pivot toward leveraging bitcoin and decentralized technologies appears to aim to reduce its reliance on traditional finance and dollar settlements. Other countries under U.S. sanctions are likely to be monitored closely.