Sberbank Prepares to Welcome Tether and Crypto as Loan Collateral

Russia's largest bank, Sberbank, is poised to accept Tether's USDT stablecoin as loan collateral alongside Bitcoin and Ethereum. This move is part of a larger effort by the bank to position itself as a major player in the country's growing digital asset market.

The new regulation allowing for crypto-collateralized lending is set to take effect on September 1, 2026. Sberbank has already built the necessary infrastructure and is ready to roll out adapted financial products once the rules go live.

This isn't the bank's first foray into crypto-backed loans - it issued a Bitcoin-backed corporate loan in December 2025 as a proof of concept for its proprietary custody solution.