Russia’s largest bank prepares to issue loans using crypto as collateral: report
Sberbank is preparing to offer corporate loans secured by cryptocurrency collateral, following a successful pilot transaction.Summary
Sberbank, Russia's largest state-owned bank, is preparing to launch a product offering corporate loans secured by cryptocurrency as collateral, citing strong client demand. The bank intends to serve crypto mining firms and other corporate entities holding digital assets, following the lead of rival Sovkombank and global peers like Wells Fargo. This move builds on a pilot transaction completed in late 2025 with miner AO Intelion Data, where self-mined digital currency was pledged as collateral using Sberbank's proprietary custody infrastructure. Sberbank has been strategically building its digital asset infrastructure since 2020, culminating in significant growth in its Digital Financial Assets (DFA) platform, which saw issuance reach 408 billion rubles ($5.3 billion) in 2025. The Russian central bank currently classifies cryptocurrencies as foreign exchange assets and is expected to finalize a broader legislative framework for crypto assets by July 1, 2026.
(Source：The Block)