Russians Flood Pension Hotline Asking: Can We Get Paid in Crypto?

Crypto curiosity reaches Russia’s pension system as citizens increasingly ask whether crypto payments can replace ruble-based retirement payments.

Russians have increasingly contacted the national pension hotline asking whether pensions can be paid in cryptocurrency. Consequently, the Social Fund of Russia named crypto payments as one of the most common non-standard questions. This trend pursues the increase of public awareness about digital assets, even in traditionally regulated social systems.

Crypto Questions Reach Russia’s Pension Authorities

During 2025, the Social Fund’s single contact center took close to 37 million calls nationwide. Most questions were related to pensions, benefits, and maternity capital schemes. However, operators had also received increasing questions about cryptocurrencies, according to Rossiyskaya Gazeta, Russia’s official government newspaper.

In addition, the representatives of the fund shared information via their Telegram channel. Many callers asked whether pensions were not possible to receive in cryptocurrency instead of rubles. Others questioned whether income from crypto mining has an impact on social benefit calculations.

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In response, the specialists from the Social Fund gave consistent explanations. All pension and social payments are issued only in rubles. Furthermore, taxation of digital assets and income evaluation is the jurisdiction of the Federal Tax Service. Pension agencies, therefore, do not have any mandate over cryptocurrency-related income issues.

Meanwhile, the fund confirmed that crypto is still not part of the social payment framework. Officials emphasized that the current legislation does not allow alternative payment currencies. As a result, pensions are still linked to the national monetary regime of Russia with no exceptions.

Along with crypto questions, operators reported other strange calls. Ahead of the New Year holidays, callers claiming to be Santa Claus and Snow Maiden demanded extra payments for January. About 100 such appeals were registered over the festive period, providing seasonal humor to everyday operations.

Additionally, some of the callers posed as historical figures. One person in particular reportedly made almost 1,000 calls in a year, each one under a different famous identity. This record-holder became an interesting anecdote related by fund representatives.

Call Center Demonstrates Public Curiosity and Social Trust

Beyond requests connected to cryptocurrency, operators faced a variety of requests. One citizen asked for help in remembering the name of a musician used as a password. Another asked if his wife deserved a pension supplement for putting up with his bad personality.

Importantly, there was appreciation for the quality of service provided by the contact center. Last year alone, during 2025, operators received some 77,000 verbal expressions of gratitude. This feedback highlighted trust in the responsiveness of public services despite not having conventional questions.

However, regulatory clarity remains strong. Russian authorities have continued using ruble-only social payments. Crypto-related income is still subject to tax authorities and not social institutions. This separation ensures administrative boundaries in the face of growing digital finance interest.

Overall, the rise in crypto-related pension queries demonstrates cultural and financial change. While the regulations are still the same, there is still a continued growth of the public’s involvement in digital assets.

As digital finance continues to evolve, similar questions may continue to exist. But officials stress that any changes will have to come through legislation. Until now, pension payments have been in rubles in response to stability within the social security system in Russia.

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