Foreign media: Whether cryptocurrency payments for pensions have become a popular non-standard inquiry in Russia's social fund

According to Cointelegraph, the customer service hotline of the Social Fund of Russia handled approximately 37 million calls in 2025, most of which were routine inquiries (such as pensions, social benefits, etc.). However, among the non-standard questions, inquiries related to cryptocurrency surged, becoming one of the most common queries. The hottest crypto-related questions included whether pensions could be received in cryptocurrency and whether mining income would affect the calculation of social benefits.

The Social Fund of Russia clearly responded that all pensions and social payments are currently issued only in rubles, and digital assets are not under the jurisdiction of the social fund. Cryptocurrency income and tax issues are handled by the Federal Tax Service of Russia.

According to a report by Chainalysis, Russia has become the largest cryptocurrency market in Europe, surpassing the UK and Germany. From July 2024 to June 2025, Russia received $376.3 billion in cryptocurrency inflows, a year-on-year increase of 48%, far exceeding the UK's $273.2 billion. Large transfers increased by 86% year-on-year, and DeFi activity grew eightfold in 2025.