Sberbank Builds Crypto Trading Platform Under New Russia Regulations
Russia's largest bank by assets, Sberbank, is building cryptocurrency trading infrastructure and a digital depository in response to new regulations that take effect on September 1. The bank plans to have this system up and running by December 1.
The digital depository will record who owns each client's cryptocurrency and handle most transactions off the main blockchain. Sberbank will also run active wallets for clients, which will process deposits, withdrawals, and transfers.
This move follows a new law that requires trades to pass through licensed intermediaries by July 2027. Public trading will be limited to larger cryptocurrencies with an average market cap above 5 trillion rubles ($64 billion) and average daily volume above 1 trillion rubles ($12.8 billion) over two years.
Sberbank has gradually entered the crypto space, starting last year by offering bonds tied to Bitcoin (BTC) for qualified investors. It also completed a Bitcoin-backed lending pilot with Intelion Data in December 2025.