What happened? Russia’s central bank said tokenizing shares could let foreign buyers access domestic companies.
The Central Bank’s deputy chairman called tokenization a “possible option” and said foreign partners would likely provide the technical platforms needed. Moscow Exchange officials and some banks have backed the idea as a way to let overseas investors trade without using sanctioned infrastructure. The plan focuses on blockchain-based fractional ownership and real-world-asset tokenization to attract investors from BRICS and other friendly jurisdictions.
Who does this affect? Foreign investors, Russian issuers, exchanges, and platform providers could all be pulled in.
Investors in BRICS countries and friendly states like the UAE, Kazakhstan, and Armenia are the most likely beneficiaries if they want exposure to Russian shares. Russian companies could gain new buyers and liquidity, while domestic banks and crypto firms would be tapped to build and run tokenization services. Regulators, brokers, and sanctions authorities also get pulled in because the move could change how cross-border trading is routed and supervised.
Why does this matter? Tokenization could increase liquidity and open new capital flows while raising regulatory and geopolitical risks.
If implemented, tokenized shares could boost market liquidity, let small investors buy fractional stakes, and attract fresh capital that supports valuations. At the same time, routing trades around sanctioned infrastructure risks provoking tighter enforcement or new countermeasures and creates legal and custody uncertainty. So markets could see both upside from broader access and downside from increased volatility and political risk that affects pricing and liquidity.