Sberbank Eyes BTC, ETH, USDT-Backed Loans as Russia’s Crypto Rules Take Effect

TLDR:

• Sberbank plans BTC, ETH and USDT-backed loans as Russia’s regulated crypto framework starts September 1.
• Non-qualified investors face a 300,000-ruble annual crypto purchase cap through each approved intermediary.
• SberCIB sees Russian crypto exchange trading at 3.5-4 trillion rubles in the first year after legalization.
• Professional firms have until July 1, 2027, to secure licenses as crypto enters Russia’s regulated market.

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Sberbank is preparing to bring digital assets into conventional banking by accepting Bitcoin, Ethereum, and Tether’s USDT as collateral for loans. The plan would extend an earlier lending pilot as Russia begins operating a framework for cryptocurrency trading and ownership.

Anatoly Popov, deputy chairman of Sberbank’s management board, said the lender intends to broaden eligible crypto collateral beyond Bitcoin to Ethereum and USDT. The expansion depends on central-bank rules becoming fully operational when the law takes effect September 1.

Sberbank Expands Crypto-Backed Loans Under New Russia Rules

Russia’s new regime creates regulated channels for buying, selling, and holding digital currencies through approved intermediaries. Non-qualified investors must pass testing and face an annual purchase limit of 300,000 rubles through each intermediary.

Qualified investors will also undergo testing, although they will not face the same purchase cap. Meanwhile, the Bank of Russia identified Bitcoin, Ethereum, and USDT for public exchange trading.

The central bank selected those assets using market capitalization, average daily volume, and at least five years of foreign-market price history. That designation gives Sberbank a clearer regulatory basis for using the three assets in secured lending.

However, any broader rollout will still depend on custody standards, risk calculations, and collateral-management requirements. These safeguards are particularly important as crypto prices can move sharply, potentially reducing collateral values before borrowers repay their loans.

Against that regulatory backdrop, Sberbank has already tested the lending model with corporate clients. In December 2025, the bank completed a pilot loan secured by cryptocurrency mined by Intelion Data, providing an early example of how digital assets could support corporate financing.

Interfax reported that Sberbank used its Rutoken storage system to safeguard the collateral throughout the loan period. Building on that pilot, Popov said the model could eventually serve a wider range of companies holding digital assets, rather than remaining limited to cryptocurrency miners.

Russia Tightens Risk Controls as Crypto Trading Expands

The lending push comes as regulators connect crypto markets with traditional finance. In July, the Bank of Russia drafted rules allowing brokers to accept cryptocurrencies and digital rights as margin collateral.

Those proposals require risk-coverage calculations to determine leverage levels and forced-liquidation thresholds. In August, the regulator went further by proposing limits on how crypto assets can count toward prudential requirements.

Under the proposal, professional market participants could include exchange-approved cryptocurrencies in eligible assets. However, their contribution would be capped at 25%, limiting balance-sheet exposure to volatile digital assets.

At the same time, the potential market remains significant. Popov said SberCIB analysts expect cryptocurrency trading on Russian exchanges to reach between 3.5 trillion and 4 trillion rubles in the first year.

That figure could rise to 7.5 trillion rubles by 2029 as the regulated market develops. Meanwhile, professional market participants have until July 1, 2027, to obtain the required licenses.

Even as the market expands, Russia continues to draw a clear distinction between crypto investment and domestic payments. Cryptocurrency remains prohibited for local transactions, although exporters and importers can use digital assets for cross-border settlements.

Against that regulatory backdrop, Sberbank’s planned BTC, ETH, and USDT-backed loans would push crypto further into conventional finance. Rather than functioning as payment money, those assets would serve as collateral for bank lending.

The structure could allow corporate holders to raise liquidity without immediately selling their digital assets. However, custody standards, collateral valuation, liquidation procedures, and lending limits would remain central to managing risk.

If implemented under the new framework, Bitcoin, Ethereum, and USDT would gain a broader role in Russia’s financial system as recognized collateral for regulated bank loans.

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Source: https://blockonomi.com/sberbank-eyes-btc-eth-usdt-backed-loans-as-russias-crypto-rules-take-effect/