Russian Constitutional Court protects cryptocurrency owners’ rights
A citizen acquired stablecoins and transferred them to a counterparty under a digital asset management agreement, but the assets were not returned. The courts refused to recover them, citing the owner’s failure to notify tax authorities. The Russian Constitutional Court clarified: the obligation to inform tax authorities applies only to miners. The absence of such notification does not deprive a bona fide owner of judicial protection, provided they can confirm the legality of acquiring the cryptocurrency. The Court did not assess whether stablecoins qualify as digital currency under Russian law or whether the claimant correctly chose the method of protection.
