Original Source: cointribune
Translated by: Blockchain Knight
At a time of global economic restructuring, the Russian Central Bank surprisingly spoke out. In its latest report, the Russian Central Bank listed BTC as a leading financial asset in 2025. This recognition from an institution that has so far maintained a cautious attitude towards crypto assets is truly unexpected.
This shift highlights both the outstanding performance of BTC as an asset and its increasing integration into investment strategies, even in a strictly controlled financial environment like Russia.
Russian Central Bank Recognizes BTC's Outstanding Performance
In an official report published in May 2025, the Central Bank of Russia (CBR) acknowledged BTC's exceptional performance over the past 12 months.
The document states: "BTC's annual return rate is close to 40%, outperforming all other analyzed financial instruments."
The report precisely compared the returns of various assets, covering gold to Russian Federal Bonds (OFZ), and specific industry stocks.
Additionally, the report noted: "Since January 2022, BTC's cumulative return rate has reached 121%", which is enormous compared to traditional assets, most of which have not exceeded single-digit returns.
The analysis is based on two sets of data shown in charts 36 and 37 of the report, comparing the performance of multiple financial instruments over the past 12 months and since January 2022. The analyzed assets mainly include:
Russian Federal Bonds (OFZ), typically viewed as a stable benchmark, but with consistently moderate returns;
Ruble and Euro deposits, with performance not exceeding 5% to 6%;
Gold, which only achieved single-digit growth during the observation period;
Russian industry stocks (energy, transportation, financial, consumer) and the Russian Trading System Index (MOEX), all of which performed worse than BTC;
S&P 500 Total Return Index and US Treasury bonds, whose cumulative performance was also surpassed by crypto assets.
Although this quantitative recognition was presented within a neutral analytical framework, it breaks the historically cautious and even antagonistic attitude of Russian authorities towards BTC.
It highlights the rise of an asset that, while not officially supported, now stands out due to its return performance.
Continued Volatility and Global Adoption
While the Russian Central Bank emphasized BTC's return rate, it did not overlook the inherent risks of its volatility. The report noted: "In the first four months of 2025, BTC's price dropped by nearly 20%", a setback that severely shook the market and tested investors' resilience.
However, the crypto asset market quickly rebounded, with over 10% growth in April, helping to compensate for the first quarter's losses. These dramatic fluctuations remind us that despite BTC's attractiveness, it remains a high-risk asset prone to sudden pullbacks.
Beyond the domestic situation in Russia, the Central Bank's report also highlighted external factors supporting BTC's growth. Particularly, the spot BTC ETFs launched in the US and Hong Kong played a decisive role.
The analysis pointed out: "Easier access to BTC through traditional brokers has promoted BTC's increasing popularity", emphasizing that investors no longer need to master complex digital wallet technologies.
Moreover, macroeconomic instability, whether through ruble depreciation or uncertain global environments related to trade wars, has prompted depositors to turn to dollar-denominated assets like BTC.
