October 14th 2026, 4:08 AM
Russia's Largest Bank Enters Crypto Trading with Bank of Russia Approval
Key Summary
Sberbank, Russia's largest bank, has joined the Bank of Russia's register of crypto exchange organizations, allowing it to buy and sell digital currencies on its own account. The move brings the bank closer to launching crypto trading, with plans to start with Bitcoin, Ethereum, and the stablecoin Tether by December 1. The bank has already secured a license to issue and exchange digital assets and has been selling structured bonds and digital financial assets tied to Bitcoin and Ethereum since 2025.
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Background Context
The Bank of Russia has approved Sberbank's application to join its register of crypto exchange organizations, bringing the list to ten firms. The move allows Sberbank to buy and sell digital currencies on its own account, outside organized trading, under the central bank's definition of the role. The bank already sits on the regulator's separate register of digital depositories.Latest Developments
Sberbank secured a license to issue and exchange digital assets in March 2022 and has been selling structured bonds and digital financial assets tied to Bitcoin and Ethereum since 2025. The bank plans to build crypto trading infrastructure and a digital depository by December 1, with initial services starting in SberBank Online, SberInvestments, and SberBusiness.Sberbank, Bank of Russia, Bitcoin, Ethereum, Tether (USDT)
Regulatory Enforcement
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A photo of the Moscow skyline at sunset, with a subtle glow of the Sberbank tower in the foreground, symbolizing the bank's entry into the crypto market and its growing presence in the Russian financial landscape.
#Russia#Crypto#BankOfRussia#Sberbank