Russia’s largest bank Sberbank plans crypto trading infrastructure by December

FinanceRussia’s largest bank Sberbank plans crypto trading infrastructure by DecemberNew regulations for crypto trading, custody, and settlement in Russia take effect Sept. 1, with requirements for licensed intermediaries applying from July 2027.By Francisco Rodrigues|Edited by Aoyon Ashraf Jul 25, 2026, 4:59 p.

m. 2 min readMake preferred on ShareShare this articleCopy linkX iconX (Twitter)LinkedInFacebookEmailMake preferred on Residents wait in line at an ATM of Russian bank Sberbank. (Anastasia Vlasova/Getty Images)SummaryShowSberbank, Russia's largest bank, plans to launch crypto trading infrastructure and a digital depository by Dec.

1 to support a regulated financial system.New regulations for crypto trading, custody, and settlement in Russia take effect Sept. 1, with requirements for licensed intermediaries applying from July 2027.

Public crypto trading will be limited to assets meeting strict liquidity and market cap thresholds; payments for goods and services in Russia remain prohibited.Russia’s largest bank, Sberbank, plans to build cryptocurrency trading infrastructure and launch a digital depository by Dec. 1 as Russia moves to bring crypto trading, custody and settlement into its regulated financial system.

The depository, according to Interfax, will record clients’ ownership of cryptocurrency and process most transactions outside the underlying blockchain. Sberbank will operate active wallets for client-initiated deposits, withdrawals and transfers.The plan follows the Federation Council’s approval of a law regulating cryptocurrency trading through licensed brokers, exchanges, asset managers and depositories.

The framework is set to take effect Sept. 1, though rules requiring transactions to pass through licensed intermediaries will apply from July 2027.Public exchange trading will be limited to cryptocurrencies that meet Bank of Russia liquidity thresholds, including an average market capitalization above 5 trillion rubles ($64 billion) and an average daily volume above 1 trillion rubles ($12.

8 billion) over 2 years.Qualified investors will be able to access a broader range of assets. Crypto payments for goods and services inside Russia remain prohibited.

Sberbank started offering qualified investors structured bonds tied to bitcoin last year, and completed a bitcoin-backed lending pilot with miner Intelion Data in December.Russia has been gradually bringing crypto into its regulated financial system. A 2024 law legalized mining and created an experimental regime for crypto-based cross-border settlements.

The Bank of Russia also widened access in 2025 by allowing qualified investors to buy crypto-linked financial products. It later proposed limited direct purchases for retail investors, subject to testing and an annual cap of 300,000 rubles per intermediary.banksLatest Crypto News 1North Korea arrests hackers accused of laundering stolen funds from country's bank via crypto1 hour ago2Democratizing weather derivatives through tokenization could be crypto's most important real-world use case4 hours ago3Robinhood Chain's real-world assets jump fivefold as tokenized stocks start trading in bigger size7 hours ago4Senate Dems should accept the victory they won on Trump's crypto limits: White HouseJul 24, 20265Sam Altman-backed World Network secures $52.

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42 percent0.42% FinanceRussia’s largest bank Sberbank pla