Encrypted media blocked by Russia, Bitcoin holds steady at $89,000, what is the next move for the market?

Just a few months after the implementation of new internet regulations in Russia, the Roskomnadzor regulatory agency appears to be strengthening its technology-driven control measures. Network access tests show that several international cryptocurrency news websites, including Cointelegraph, CoinGeek, and FXEmpire, are no longer accessible through Russian household internet connections. Although these sites have not yet been officially listed on Roskomnadzor’s blocking registry, technical analysis indicates that internet service providers are enforcing restrictions at the network layer.

Event escalation: Technical details and scope of Russia’s crypto media blocking

The blocking is not caused by server failures but is a result of selective interference at the network level. When tools are used to bypass deep packet inspection, websites that were previously inaccessible can load normally. This change indicates that the restrictions rely on DPI filtering. Tests covered access to multiple crypto media sites from different locations, with network-level diagnostics performed. Several crypto and financial media sites cannot load on domestic Wi-Fi networks but display normally when accessed via other connections.

The scope of impact is quite broad; industry analysis estimates that access restrictions could affect up to a quarter of crypto and financial publications. The participating crypto and financial media in the tests represent different languages, regions, and editorial focuses. Notably, BeInCrypto did not experience the same access interruptions during testing, suggesting that these restrictions may be selective rather than nationwide blockades. This selective blocking pattern is more consistent with a distributed enforcement model, where service providers apply restrictions using their own technical systems.

Regulatory background: Evolution of Russia’s internet control and crypto policies

The new internet regulations implemented in Russia from September 1, 2025, provide a legal framework for the current blocking events. These changes have already had a significant impact on the Web3 ecosystem and the cryptocurrency market. The new regulations include bans on advertising VPN services and hefty fines, affecting users’ ability to access global crypto platforms. Russian users may face penalties for accessing “extremist” materials, a broad definition that could encompass crypto-related content deemed illegal by authorities.

Meanwhile, Russia’s crypto regulation continues to evolve. By the end of 2025, the Central Bank of Russia submitted a draft allowing non-qualified investors to purchase cryptocurrencies under strict conditions. In early 2026, a senior Russian legislator stated that cryptocurrencies “will become a common phenomenon in the country” and plans to introduce legislation to relax retail market regulation. This contradictory official stance on cryptocurrencies is a key feature of Russia’s crypto policy environment.

Market response: Immediate reactions of the crypto market to Russia’s blocking events

Russia’s crypto media blocking policy contrasts sharply with the performance of the global crypto market. We observed the price movements of major digital assets during the event.

According to Gate data, as of January 28, 2026, the main cryptocurrency data are as follows:

From the data, despite the crypto media blocking event in Russia, the prices of major digital assets showed an upward trend within 24 hours, and market share remained stable.

Bitcoin continues to lead the market with a 56.43% dominance, while Ethereum’s 11.30% market share indicates a diversified crypto asset landscape. These figures suggest that domestic regulatory actions in Russia have not yet had a significant impact on the global cryptocurrency market.

Technical upgrades: Future trends and challenges in Russia’s crypto control

Roskomnadzor plans to launch an AI-based internet traffic filtering system in 2026, which will make bypassing the blocks more difficult. The project has received $29.2 million in funding, despite budget deficits and rising costs of maintaining existing control infrastructure. The new system aims to implement more stringent and targeted content blocking: from automatic detection of mirrored forbidden resources to analyzing text, images, videos, and audio content.

The currently used “Oculus” and “Vepr” systems blocked 1.289 million resources in 2025 and restrict access to 5,500 addresses daily. However, their effectiveness is only about 60%, and they require increasingly higher computational costs. As the system’s technology upgrades, users have developed new circumvention methods. The open-source project ByeDPI continues to evolve, with community-verified effective parameter combinations including sharding reconstruction techniques and obfuscation signatures, though their validity periods are usually short.

Countermeasures: Multi-dimensional adaptation strategies of the crypto community from an international perspective

For ordinary users, at the technical level, using trusted VPNs remains the primary method to bypass network restrictions. However, users should be aware that Roskomnadzor is investing in developing advanced technologies to identify and restrict VPN traffic.

In addition to technical measures, users can access information through unblocked alternative media platforms or use decentralized social networks and blockchain-driven media platforms, which are generally harder to block centrally.

For crypto projects and market participants, diversifying market focus and not relying solely on specific regional markets are important strategies to cope with regional regulatory uncertainties. Providing multilingual support and localized content can help projects maintain visibility in restricted markets. In the long term, developers can explore using distributed storage and access technologies to make content difficult to block by a single entity. Actively engaging in policy dialogue and advocating for a balanced regulatory framework are also important directions.

Russia’s actions to block crypto media are ongoing, and Roskomnadzor plans to launch an AI-based internet traffic filtering system in 2026. Technical experts point out that identifying crypto traffic patterns may still face challenges. Data from the global crypto market shows that during Russia’s blocking events, Bitcoin’s price remained stable around $89,172.5, rising 0.46% within 24 hours, while Ethereum increased by 2.28% to $3,008.16. Behind these numbers is the strong adaptability of the crypto ecosystem. The crypto community is developing various innovative ways to access and disseminate information, from technical circumvention methods to decentralized media platforms, continuously seeking survival and growth paths in restrictive environments.