Cryptocurrency regulation in Russia: genesis and historical content

The paper contains information on the stage of formation of legal regulation of the status of cryptocurrency, its derivatives and financial solutions based on blockchain technology, as well as cryptocurrency relations arising from their circulation in the Russian Federation. The author proposes to single out a three-stage period for the formation of legal regulation, as well as a review of legislation in the context of the initial and intermediate stages (from the moment the cryptocurrency was first mentioned in the information letter of the Central Bank in 2014 to the mention of the ICO procedure by the same body in 2017). The author provides a description of the time periods for the development of the process of regulating relations with cryptocurrencies and tokens in Russia, as well as a general overview of the documentary support of the emerging phenomenon of digital rights. The proposed review of information letters, comments and instructions of the President of the Russian Federation, legislative initiatives are accompanied by comments and explanations of law enforcement practice, containing various positions of state power in the specified period. The author draws a conclusion about the influence of the historical development of relations between the national legislator and the cryptocurrency on the current state of the problems of a criminal-legal and criminal-procedural nature.