Sberbank To Launch Crypto Trading Infrastructure By December

Russia’s largest bank, Sberbank, plans to build crypto trading infrastructure and launch a digital depository by December 1, as the country works to bring crypto trading, custody, and settlement under a regulated financial framework.

Depository Will Track Ownership And Process Transactions

According to reports, the new depository will record client ownership of cryptocurrency and handle most transactions off the underlying blockchain, while Sberbank will manage active wallets for deposits, withdrawals, and transfers initiated by clients. The move follows recent approval of a law by Russia’s Federation Council governing crypto trading through licensed brokers, exchanges, asset managers, and depositories.

New Rules Take Effect In Phases

The regulatory framework is set to begin September 1, though requirements mandating transactions pass through licensed intermediaries won’t apply until July 2027. Public exchange trading will initially be limited to cryptocurrencies meeting strict liquidity thresholds set by the Bank of Russia, including a market capitalization above 5 trillion rubles and daily trading volume exceeding 1 trillion rubles. Qualified investors will have access to a wider range of assets, though crypto payments for goods and services inside Russia remain banned.

Part Of Broader Crypto Integration Push

Sberbank previously offered structured bonds tied to bitcoin and completed a bitcoin backed lending pilot with a mining firm late last year, part of Russia’s gradual effort to formally integrate crypto into its financial system since legalizing mining in 2024.