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EU moves to cut off Russian crypto links amid domestic mining boom

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EU moves to cut off Russian crypto links amid domestic mining boom

The European Union is preparing a sweeping ban on cryptocurrency transactions involving Russian entities, even as Russian financial firms accelerate efforts to institutionalize crypto investment products at home.

Summary

  • The European Commission is proposing a blanket ban on all cryptocurrency transactions involving Russian entities as part of its 20th sanctions package.
  • The measure aims to close loopholes that previously allowed sanctioned Russian crypto platforms to rebrand or reroute transactions.
  • Meanwhile, Russian broker Finam has launched a regulated cryptocurrency mining investment fund registered with the Bank of Russia, signaling deeper institutional adoption of digital assets in Russia.

EU targets Russian crypto with sweeping ban

According to a recent Financial Times report, the European Commission is proposing a blanket prohibition on crypto dealings between EU individuals or companies and any crypto-asset service provider established in Russia. The measure forms part of the bloc’s 20th sanctions package against Moscow since the invasion of Ukraine.

Unlike previous rounds that targeted specific exchanges or wallets, the new proposal would ban all Russian-linked crypto transactions, aiming to close loopholes that allowed sanctioned entities to rebrand or shift operations.

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EU officials argue that cryptocurrencies, stablecoins and digital payment rails have created alternative channels for cross-border value transfers outside traditional banking oversight.

The draft reportedly includes restrictions tied to Russian digital finance infrastructure such as ruble-linked stablecoins and any future central bank digital currency.

However, the plan requires unanimous approval from all 27 EU member states, a hurdle that could complicate adoption and enforcement.

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Russia deepens crypto investment push

At the same time, Russia’s domestic crypto sector is expanding.

Broker Finam has launched trading in units of a new investment fund focused on cryptocurrency mining operations. The fund pools capital to finance industrial-scale mining infrastructure, including facilities powered by natural gas in regions such as Mordovia.

It has been registered with the Bank of Russia, signaling increasing formalization of the sector.

The move reflects Russia’s broader strategy to regulate and legitimize crypto mining after legal reforms in recent years. With abundant energy resources and cold climates suitable for mining operations, Russia has positioned itself as a significant global mining hub.

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Structured investment vehicles like Finam’s fund provide domestic investors exposure to digital asset production without directly holding cryptocurrencies.

For Brussels, digital assets represent a potential sanctions-evasion channel requiring tighter restrictions. For Moscow, crypto mining and regulated investment products are becoming tools of economic resilience and financial innovation under Western pressure.

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Crypto World

Venus Protocol Hit by Code Exploit, Causing Over $3.7 Million In Losses

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Cybersecurity, Hacks

Venus Protocol, a decentralized lending and borrowing platform, said on Sunday it had detected suspicious trading activity in the liquidity pool for the Thena (THE) token, the native cryptocurrency of the Thena decentralized finance platform.

The unusual trading activity only affected pools for the Cake (CAKE) token, the native cryptocurrency of the PancakeSwap decentralized exchange, and the Thena token, according to an announcement from Venus Protocol. The Venus team said:

“As we continue to investigate the unusual activity in the THE pool, we are taking precautionary action by pausing all THE borrows and withdrawals effective immediately, to prevent any further misuse. This will remain in effect until the investigation is concluded.”

Cybersecurity, Hacks
Source: Venus Protocol

The suspicious trading activity is suspected to be a supply cap attack that was executed in two phases: a steady accumulation of about 84% of the total THE token market cap, coupled with a lending attack, according Allez Labs, which was identified by Venus Protocol as its risk manager.

The Venus exploiter used the Theta token as collateral to borrow 6.67 million CAKE tokens, 1.58 million USDC (USDC), 2,801 BNB (BNB) — the native token of the BNB chain — and 20 Bitcoin (BTC), Allez Labs said. 

Out of caution, withdrawals and borrowing for other tokens, which have low liquidity on the platform, were also temporarily halted, Allez Labs said. The total amount lost in the attack is now over $3.7 million, according to Wu Blockchain. 

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At the time of publication, THE was trading at $0.2255 apiece, down more than 17% in the last 24 hours, according to pricing data on CoinMarketCap.com.

Cybersecurity, Hacks
Source: Allez Labs

Cointelegraph reached out to Venus Protocol but did not obtain a response by the time of publication.

The incident highlights the cybersecurity and code exploit threats faced by crypto users and decentralized finance platforms, as the sector grows and security threats that cause financial loss become increasingly sophisticated.

Related: February crypto losses hit lowest level since March 2025, says PeckShield

Monthly crypto losses from hacks fall in February, as attackers pivot to social engineering scams

The value lost in crypto-related hacks fell to $49 million in February, the lowest level in nearly a year, according to blockchain security firm PeckShield.

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Despite the reduction in total value lost to hacks and code exploits during February, there was an uptick in phishing and social engineering scams.

Cybersecurity, Hacks
Most impactful losses from crypto scams and hacks in February 2026. Source: Nominis

“The majority of individual attacks targeted private users through phishing attacks, malicious signatures, and address poisoning scams,” according to a report from blockchain intelligence platform Nominis.

Phishing scams often use fake websites, which feature addresses that are nearly identical to legitimate domain names. These fraudulent websites have malware designed to steal private keys for cryptocurrencies or other sensitive information.

Magazine: ‘SEAL 911’ team of white hats formed to fight crypto hacks in real time