TLDR
- Sberbank plans to accept Bitcoin, Ethereum, and USDT as collateral for crypto-backed loans.
- The expansion will depend on approval from the Bank of Russia under the new crypto framework.
- Sberbank previously tested Bitcoin-backed lending with miner Intelion Data in December 2025.
- Russia’s new crypto law takes effect on September 1, 2026, allowing regulated crypto trading while banning domestic crypto payments.
- The Bank of Russia has proposed Bitcoin, Ethereum, and USDT for regulated public trading.
Sberbank plans to expand its crypto-backed lending program as Russia prepares new rules for digital assets. The bank wants to accept Bitcoin, Ether, and Tether’s USDT as loan collateral once regulators approve public trading of those assets. Deputy Chairman Anatoly Popov said the lender will adjust its current products before adding more supported cryptocurrencies.
Sberbank Expands Crypto-Backed Lending Plans
Sberbank already tested bitcoin-backed lending in December 2025. The bank issued a loan to mining company Intelion Data and held the bitcoin collateral through its own custody service. Sberbank did not disclose the loan value.
The lender later said it wanted to offer the service to more companies that hold cryptocurrency. Popov said the bank now plans to add ether and USDT when the Bank of Russia gives formal approval.
Russia’s new crypto law takes effect on September 1, 2026. The law allows regulated intermediaries to support cryptocurrency trading while keeping domestic crypto payments banned. Market participants have until July 2027 to secure required licenses.
President Vladimir Putin signed Federal Law 282-FZ on August 4. The law separates the use of digital assets for trading and collateral from their use as payment. This gives banks a legal basis for developing crypto-backed lending products.
Bitcoin, Ether and USDT Gain Regulatory Support
The Bank of Russia included Bitcoin, Ether and USDT in an August draft list of assets that could trade on regulated exchanges. The central bank based its selection on market value, trading activity and at least five years of price history.
Sberbank plans to follow that list as it expands its lending service. The bank also aims to launch a regulated digital asset depository by December 1, 2026. That system would support custody, collateral management and lending.
USDT carries a different risk for Sberbank because Tether can freeze tokens linked to sanctioned entities. The United States imposed blocking sanctions on Sberbank in April 2022, while the European Union froze its assets in July 2022.
The Bank of Russia has also warned that stablecoin issuers can block tokens under unilateral restrictions. Sberbank must therefore work within both Russian crypto rules and sanctions-related limits when it expands collateral options.
