Russia's Sberbank gets central bank approval to trade crypto ahead of December launch
The Bank of Russia now lists 10 licensed crypto exchange operators, including Sberbank and VTB; Sberbank plans BTC, ETH and USDT products from 1 December.
CryptoGroup Newsroom · · 1 min read
Sberbank, Russia's largest bank, has received the central bank's approval to operate as a crypto exchange operator, clearing the way for a planned launch of crypto trading in December.
The register
The Bank of Russia's updated register, dated Tuesday, lists 10 authorised crypto exchange operators and six digital custodians — up from four and five a week earlier. Besides Sberbank, the lists include VTB and non-bank firms such as T-Invest Lab and Atomyze. Sberbank was among the first to receive custodian status the week before.
What Sberbank plans
- Products for Bitcoin (BTC), Ether (ETH) and Tether (USDT)
- Launch target: 1 December 2026
- Channels: SberBank Online, SberInvestments and SberBusiness
The bank has already been testing purchases, sales, deposits and withdrawals in its app, the newspaper Vedomosti reported, though Sberbank says the final timeline depends on further central bank rules.
The rules behind it
Russia's new crypto law took effect on 1 September, putting exchange operators and custodians under central bank supervision. Paying for goods and services with cryptocurrency remains prohibited in Russia.
This article is for information only and is not financial advice. Crypto assets are volatile; do your own research. Read our disclaimer
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