Airdrop Army

The Russian crypto hive is buzzing, and the Central Bank’s got its scanners on max. Elizaveta Danilova, head of financial stability at the regulator, dropped some nuggets during a press talk. She said web traffic on crypto sites in Russia has been popping off. And yeah, maybe it’s got something to do with the orange-hued guy across the pond snagging another shot at the U.S. presidency.

“In the report, we note the spike in Russian web traffic on crypto platforms. There’s interest, clearly. Possibly, the latest wave of popularity following Donald Trump’s election also nudged this. We’re keeping tabs on these trends,” Danilova shared.

But don’t let the spike fool you; the Central Bank isn’t handing out party hats for crypto fans just yet. They still file Bitcoin and its gang under “dangerous assets.”

Rubles Are Still King, but Crypto’s Creeping

Danilova also pointed out that most Russians are still clutching their rubles tight. Ruble deposits top the charts, and people aren’t as hyped about foreign investments anymore. She called this a “reduced vulnerability,” which is regulator-speak for “stick with what’s safe, fam.”

Then there’s Philip Gabuniya, the deputy boss at the Central Bank, who threw in his two sats. He said they’re tracking global crypto moves but don’t see anything seismic in the market. “For individuals, this asset remains high-risk,” Gabuniya noted, sticking to the same caution tape they’ve been rolling out for years.

So, while the crypto bug is nibbling at Russian wallets, the Central Bank’s still playing hall monitor, waving its risk flags high.