Can cryptocurrency payments for pensions become a popular non-standard inquiry for the Russian Social Fund

On January 11, the Social Fund of Russia’s customer service hotline handled approximately 37 million calls in 2025. Most were routine inquiries (such as pensions, social benefits, etc.), but among non-standard issues, questions related to cryptocurrencies surged and became one of the most common inquiries. The hottest crypto-related questions include whether pensions can be received in cryptocurrency and whether mining income will affect social benefit calculations. The Social Fund of Russia explicitly responded that all pensions and social payments are currently issued only in rubles, and digital assets are not within the jurisdiction of the Social Fund. Crypto income and tax issues are handled by the Federal Tax Service of Russia. According to a Chainalysis report, Russia has become the largest crypto market in Europe, surpassing the UK and Germany. From July 2024 to June 2025, Russia received $376.3 billion in crypto asset inflows, a 48% year-over-year increase, far exceeding the UK’s $273.2 billion. Large transfers increased by 86% year-over-year, and DeFi activity grew 8 times in 2025.