The recognition of stablecoins for cryptocurrency funds has elevated in recent times, with many world firms embracing new fee strategies.
Regardless of the pattern, crypto payments stay prohibited for retail customers in a number of international locations, together with China, Indonesia, Russia, Turkey and others.
Nonetheless, whereas home crypto funds could also be banned in these jurisdictions, utilizing cryptocurrency to pay for companies overseas could also be legally permissible, in response to some authorized specialists and observers of crypto regulation.
“As a common rule, the legal guidelines of a rustic apply solely to occasions occurring inside that nation or to its personal residents,” mentioned Meric Paldimoglu, a lawyer in Turkey and managing companion of Paldimoglu Legislation Agency.
Can Russian and Turkish residents pay in crypto for international companies?
In early June 2025, Georgian journey firm Tripzy started accepting funds in Tether’s USDt (USDT) stablecoin through the CityPay infrastructure, permitting worldwide purchasers to guide companies utilizing the stablecoin.
“We began accepting cryptocurrency to supply our purchasers extra freedom and comfort in fee,” a Tripzy spokesperson instructed Cointelegraph. “That is particularly related for company from international locations with foreign money restrictions or simply for many who worth the pace of transactions,” the spokesperson added.
On condition that Georgia depends closely on tourism from international locations like Russia and Turkey — the place crypto funds are restricted for residents — the brand new function raises questions concerning the legality of cross-border funds for vacationers from these jurisdictions.
Nevertheless, there aren’t any legal guidelines explicitly prohibiting the usage of cryptocurrency for funds made overseas.
“Russian Federal Legislation No. 259 On Digital Monetary Belongings has by no means prohibited the usage of cryptocurrency for funds made exterior of Russia,” Yuriy Brisov, founding father of D&A CryptoMap, instructed Cointelegraph. He mentioned that the Russian legal guidelines at present solely forbid residents from accepting crypto particularly for contractual functions.
Paldimoglu shared an analogous perspective whereas addressing the difficulty in relation to the Turkish legal guidelines.
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“When a Turkish citizen retailers from an organization based mostly overseas, Turkish regulation doesn’t apply,” the lawyer said. He mentioned the Regulation on the Disuse of Crypto Belongings in Funds particularly applies to licensed fee and digital cash establishments working in Turkey.
“So it’s authorized for Turkish residents to buy on international web sites, and I don’t consider this could trigger any points between Georgia and Turkey,” he added.
Regulatory overlaps elevate flags for world authorities
Whereas not creating new express conflicts between the jurisdictions that enable crypto funds and people that don’t, such regulatory overlaps usually tend to appeal to the eye of worldwide authorities, in response to Brisov.
“If Georgian firms, like Tripzy, begin accepting crypto from Russian vacationers, this can be seen in Brussels as a loophole,” he mentioned, including:
“If Tripzy solely offered excursions to Georgia or different international locations that didn’t impose or assist Russian sanctions, it could be completely compliant. Nevertheless, if Georgia turns into a gateway to the world for Russian cash, it should face worldwide stress and have to decide on sides.”
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A single journey company could not set off any sanctions from European authorities, although, Brisov steered. Nonetheless, if patterns emerge, the response may escalate — not from Russia however from the worldwide system that enforces compliance, he speculated.
FATF warns about rising illicit stablecoin use
Brisov’s remarks align with latest warnings from the Monetary Motion Job Drive (FATF) on the growing position of stablecoins in facilitating illicit transactions.
“Since 2024, the usage of stablecoins by illicit actors, together with DPRK [Democratic People’s Republic of Korea] actors and terrorist financiers, has risen, with most onchain illicit exercise now involving stablecoins,” the FATF stated in an replace on the implementation of Anti-Cash Laundering (AML) measures in crypto.
The company additionally offered an in depth report on varied AML measures taken by FATF member international locations and different jurisdictions and pledged to offer a focused report on stablecoins within the first quarter of 2026.
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