Russia Uses Crypto for Oil Trade with China and India Despite Sanctions

• Russia trades oil with China & India using crypto to bypass sanctions.
• Crypto intermediaries convert yuan & rupees into roubles for payments.
• Despite regulations, crypto’s role in Russia’s $192B oil trade is growing.

With more strict Western sanctions, Russian oil companies are using more and more cryptocurrencies to trade with India and China, Reuters.

This reflects the part played by cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin (BTC), Ethereum (ETH), and stablecoins like Tether (USDT) in avoiding traditional financial rules.

Crypto as a Tool to Trade

Russian oil firms are employing crypto to convert Indian rupees and Chinese yuan into Russian roubles for cross-border transactions. Although crypto payments are a negligible fraction of Russia’s $192 billion oil industry, their application is incrementally increasing.

A yuan-denominated account of an intermediary is invested in by a Chinese buyer. The funds are converted to cryptocurrency, transferred to a different account, and finally to Russia, which in turn converts it to roubles. This enables Russia to steer clear of using the U.S. dollar, the dominant currency in the international energy market.

Trump Administration has let the General License for Russia to sell oil to western countries expire. That means no European Country or ally who works with the United States can buy Russian oil without the threat of sanctions. #Oil #Russia pic.twitter.com/fe5mv9aA4d

— Edward Lawrence (@EdwardLawrence) March 13, 2025

Regulatory and sanction Challenges

Russia has promoted trade in cryptocurrencies and recently permitted payments in cryptocurrency for overseas transactions. The process is shrouded in mystery, however, when applied to oil exports.

The move is similar to that of sanctions-struck nations such as Iran and Venezuela. The nations have utilized cryptocurrencies to keep trading despite dollar-based sanctions. For instance, Venezuela began increasing its use of crypto after Washington reimposed sanctions on its oil and gasolene exports.

Regulatory pressure is mounting. The U.S. and European Union are trying more comprehensively to regulate Russian crypto activity. The Russian crypto exchange Garantex was sanctioned by the U.S. in 2022 and by the EU in February 2024. Tether froze the digital wallets of Garantex recently, forcing the platform to halt activities.

Even with regulatory issues, estimates are that crypto will be a major aspect of Russia’s oil business even if sanctions are relaxed. The speed, anonymity, and efficiency of online transactions make them a tempting long-term solution to circumventing financial hurdles.