Sberbank Expands Crypto-Backed Loans in Russia with BTC, ETH, and USDT
Sberbank, Russia's largest bank, is planning to expand its crypto-backed loan program by accepting Bitcoin (BTC), Ethereum (ETH), and Tether's USDT as collateral for loans. This move comes after the Russian government implemented a new framework for cryptocurrency trading and ownership on September 1.
The expansion of eligible crypto collateral beyond Bitcoin will depend on central-bank rules becoming fully operational, according to Anatoly Popov, deputy chairman of Sberbank's management board.
Sberbank has already tested the lending model with corporate clients through a pilot loan secured by cryptocurrency mined by Intelion Data in December 2025. The bank used its Rutoken storage system to safeguard the collateral throughout the loan period.