Sberbank Prepares to Offer Bitcoin-Backed Loans Under New Russian Regulatory Framework
Sberbank, Russia's largest bank, is gearing up to offer Bitcoin-backed loans to its customers. The move follows President Vladimir Putin's signing of Federal Law 282-FZ on August 4, which creates a regulatory framework separating crypto's use as collateral from its role as a domestic payment method.
The bank has already piloted a BTC-collateralized loan in December 2025 and is now positioning itself to roll out crypto-backed lending at scale under the new law. Sber is targeting the launch of a regulated digital asset depository by December 1, which would give the bank end-to-end infrastructure for custody, collateral assessment, and lending.
Russia's regulatory environment has undergone a significant shift in recent years. The central bank once advocated for an outright ban on cryptocurrency mining and trading, but now major lenders like Sber are embracing crypto-backed lending. Sovcombank, another major Russian lender, has already started offering similar products.