Moscow Exchange Launches Bitcoin Futures For Qualified Investors

The Moscow Exchange, Russia's largest exchange group, launched Bitcoin futures trading on June 4, 2025, open to qualified investors who want price exposure without owning bitcoin. The contracts are cash-settled in rubles and tied to the iShares Bitcoin Trust ETF (IBIT), which trades on U.S. exchanges, with the first contracts expiring in September 2025. The launch follows Russia's central bank formally permitting crypto-linked securities and derivatives for qualified investors in May, and Sberbank plans its own bitcoin-tracking exchange-traded notes.