Can Cryptocurrency Payment of Pensions Become a Popular Non-Standard Inquiry for the Russian Social Fund?

Jan. 11 — Russia’s Social Fund customer service hotline handled roughly 37 million calls in 2025, with most being routine queries (e.g., pensions, social welfare). However, cryptocurrency-related inquiries emerged as one of the most common non-standard questions, seeing a sharp increase. Top crypto questions included whether pensions can be paid in cryptocurrency and if mining income affects social welfare calculations. The Social Fund clarified that all pensions and social payments are currently issued only in rubles, and digital assets are not within its scope. Crypto income and tax matters fall under the Federal Tax Service of Russia. A Chainalysis report noted Russia has become Europe’s largest cryptocurrency market, surpassing the UK and Germany. Between July 2024 and June 2025, Russia saw $376.3 billion in crypto inflows — a 48% year-over-year jump, far exceeding the UK’s $273.2 billion. Large transfers rose 86% YoY, and DeFi activity surged 8x in 2025.