Sberbank to Launch Crypto-Backed Loans for Corporate Clients in Russia

Highlights:

• Sberbank plans to launch crypto-backed loans to serve corporate clients in Russia’s booming mining industry.
• The demand for crypto-secured lending products is expected to grow as Russia develops clearer regulations.
• Sberbank’s move follows a successful pilot transaction with crypto-mining company Intelion Data.

The largest state-owned bank in Russia, Sberbank, is preparing to offer crypto-backed loans to corporate clients. The move follows the footsteps of Sovkombank, which became the first Russian bank to offer such products. According to the Reuters report, the bank cited a high demand for this service, particularly among the cryptocurrency mining industry.

The crypto-backed loan product will enable businesses to secure loans through their cryptocurrency holdings as collateral. Sberbank is also negotiating with the Russian central bank to come up with a regulatory approach to this new offering.

Russia's largest lender Sberbank is preparing to roll out crypto-backed loans for corporate clients after a successful pilot in late 2025, citing strong demand, and said it is ready to work with the central bank as Russia finalizes crypto regulations by July 2026.…

— Wu Blockchain (@WuBlockchain) February 6, 2026

Pilot Program Shows Strong Interest

The pilot project, which was completed in late 2025, involved the miner AO Intelion Data pledging its self-mined cryptocurrency as collateral. The partnership between Sberbank and Intelion Data was a significant milestone in the experimentation with digital collateral systems.

The bank relied on its own custody system, together with a Rutoken hardware (base), to secure the collateral during the loan term. Although the loan size was not revealed, the project has paved the way for additional crypto-secured loans in Russia.

The deputy chairman of Sberbank, Anatoly Popov, said that the pilot transaction played a key role in the testing of the mechanisms to use digital assets as collateral. This would consequently be vital in the development of future laws on crypto-backed loans in Russia.

This service is being introduced at a time when the Russian crypto market is on the verge of significant regulatory transformations. By July 1, 2026, the Bank of Russia will complete a broader legal cryptocurrency regulatory framework. The new regulatory framework is likely to change the environment of digital assets and crypto-backed loans.

Crypto-Backed Loans’ Growing Popularity in Russia

The crypto-backed loans are in high demand, especially in the booming cryptocurrency mining sector in Russia. These loans allow companies engaged in crypto mining to finance their activities, making it easier to obtain capital without selling their assets. Moreover, the move by Sberbank reflects a broader trend within the banking sector. Major global institutions, including JPMorgan and Wells Fargo, are already exploring how to provide such services.

Sberbank’s move to provide these loans also aligns with the global trends in which financial institutions are increasingly considering cryptocurrency as an asset class. The developments also signal that additional banks in Russia and beyond will likely join the trend in the near future, especially as crypto laws continue to evolve.

Future Regulatory Developments for Digital Assets

The central bank of Russia has already categorized cryptocurrencies as foreign exchange assets, allowing their purchase and sale. However, cryptocurrencies remain prohibited from being used in domestic payments. This categorization might shift as new laws become effective, thus making crypto-backed loans more accessible.

Anatoly Aksakov, chairman of the Russian State Duma Committee on Financial Markets, said that payments within Russia must be made in rubles, and that cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin and Ethereum will never become currency in Russia and can only be used as investment instruments.…

— Wu Blockchain (@WuBlockchain) December 17, 2025

Moreover, Russian officials plan to issue new permanent regulations that will substitute the existing “experimental legal framework” that regulates crypto activities in the next few months. Such a change in regulations will enable banks and other financial institutions to expand their crypto-related services. The crypto market in Russia is expected to mature by the first half of 2026, as regulations regarding crypto-backed loans, trading, and investments become more transparent.

Meanwhile, Russia’s Moscow Exchange plans to launch new crypto derivatives indices and futures contracts in 2026. This will include cryptocurrencies such as Solana, Ripple, and Tron, which will probably provide new opportunities to institutional investors.