- Russia bans OTC exchanges, cutting 25% of $10B annual inflows.
- Japan's Crypto A rules drop Azuki holders 12% to 18,000.
- Asia regs slash NFT volumes 15% to 45,000 ETH weekly.
Russia banned crypto-to-cash OTC exchanges processing $2.5 billion monthly on April 13, 2026. This tops Wu Blockchain's Asia crypto news list. NFT volumes dropped 15% to 45,000 ETH ($98.5 million), per Dune Analytics.
Bitcoin closed at $70,872 (down 1.0%) and Ethereum at $2,189.57 (down 1.1%) on April 13, per CoinMarketCap. Fear & Greed Index hit 12, per CoinMarketCap.
1. Russia Enforces OTC Crypto Ban
Russia's central bank banned fiat off-ramps for crypto over 100,000 rubles ($1,100) effective April 13, per The Block. Garantex closed fiat gateways.
Chainalysis reports 40% liquidity drop. Analyst Nikolaus von Bomhard says it cuts 25% of Russia's $10 billion annual inflows.
OpenSea NFT sales from Russian IPs fell 22% week-over-week on Ethereum, per Dune Analytics. Traders shift to Solana's Magic Eden.
2. Japan Advances Crypto Regulations
Japan's FSA proposed "Crypto A" rules for non-stablecoins on April 13, per CoinDesk. Platforms enforce KYC on NFT mints over 1 million JPY ($6,700).
Rules target wash trading on Blur Japan. Azuki holders on Ethereum fell 12% to 18,000, per Blur leaderboard.
Dragonfly's Haseeb Qureshi called it a "compliance wake-up" on X. Base L2 gains NFT traction with low fees.
3. China Blocks 15 Offshore NFT Platforms
China's Cyberspace Administration blocked 15 NFT sites on April 11. Authorities seized $50 million in assets, per state media.
CloneX floor crashed 10% to 4.5 ETH ($9,853) on Blur (Ethereum mainnet), April 13, per Blur. Artists move to Bitcoin Ordinals.
4. India Raises NFT Taxes to 30%
India hiked virtual digital asset taxes to 30% plus 1% TDS on NFT sales April 13. Revenue hit 45 billion INR ($540 million), per Ministry of Finance.
Aavegotchi volume on Polygon slumped 18% week ending April 13, per OpenSea.
5. South Korea Mandates AML for Web3 Wallets
South Korea's FIU requires VASP tracking of NFT transfers over 1 million KRW ($750) from April 13, per FIU announcement.
Illuvium NFTs floor dropped 14% to 0.8 ETH ($1,752) on Blur (Ethereum mainnet), per Blur.
6. Singapore Revokes 5 Crypto Licenses
MAS revoked five licenses for AML failures April 13. An Azuki-linked issuer faces probe, per MAS.
Solana NFT volumes in Singapore fell 20% week ending April 13, per Magic Eden.
7. Hong Kong Caps Stablecoin Issuances
HKMA capped licensed stablecoins at $500 million April 13, per HKMA. DeFi adjusts USDT-NFT strategies on Ethereum.
8. Thailand Shuts 10 DeFi Protocols
Thailand's SEC banned 10 unlicensed DeFi apps April 13, per SEC. NFT lending platforms exit or comply.
9. Vietnam Raids BTC Mining Farms
Vietnam raided 200 MW mining ops April 13 for energy overuse, per police. Impacts Ordinals nodes.
10. Kazakhstan Caps Exchange Fiat Pairs
Kazakhstan restricted USD pairs April 13. Russian inflows rose 15%, per Chainalysis.
NFT Volumes Decline 15% in Asia
Asia drives 35% of global NFT volume, per Dune Analytics. Weekly sales hit 45,000 ETH ($98.5 million).
Ethereum blue chips on Blur (April 13): BAYC floor 12 ETH ($26,268), CryptoPunks 28 ETH. Blur holds 60% share.
Solana NFTs rose 5%: Mad Lads 2.2 SOL ($320) on Magic Eden. Parallel mints 10,000 avatars weekly on Ethereum L2s.
Regulations Shift Web3 Activity
Traders eye Dubai. Bitcoin Ordinals art surged 30% to 500 BTC ($35.4 million), per Glassnode.
Glassnode tracks 20,000 ETH whale outflows from Asia to Europe. Japan FSA rulings loom over Ethereum NFT floors.
