I do not see much positive in this news. Banks will do the trading, they will use their citizens money to do that. Everything will be controlled at bank's end. Government will get taxes out of every trade and then on the total income. Nothing positive except some liquidity flow into the market.
The good news is that Russia might have its first indigenous exchange. According to the article, all the exchanges that operate in Russia are not based or registered in the country. I am not a fan of centralization but atleast the country is opening up to crypto gradually.
I hope Russia opens up their market for cryptocurrency. That will be a real change and a positive one. If banking controls everything related to crypto for the big-pocket investors, then it's not a real change!
Making crypto friendly policies will attract more investors, create more employment and increase government revenue on tax. The market should be allowed to operate without strict government controls.
I'd thought before now that the government doesn't have interest in dealing with anything related to crypto in Russia, instead believed in what their own native Russian Rubble, now they have realized that cryptocurrency is not for one, instead for all, that will even soon be more valuable and greater than the USD they have always been against.
As you ha e said it, they want to regulate the crypto sector and are starting by the giant holders first, try to confide them on a particular channel they can all be regulated, controlled and easily taxed without stress, my question is will all these investors on top tiers agree to all these, remember using a centralized system for your bitcoin is not safe at all, because you will be subjected to a central authority.