Sberbank is gearing up to launch its own crypto trading system and digital custody services by December 1, 2026. This initiative aims to let Russia’s largest bank offer regulated crypto trading, custody, and settlement, while officially registering clients’ cryptocurrency rights under upcoming regulations.
Alexander Vedyakhin, Sberbank’s first deputy chairman, shared plans to establish a crypto depository that records ownership of cryptocurrencies and tracks transactions not only on blockchains but also outside them. This means many crypto operations will be processed through internal ledgers managed entirely by the bank, instead of occurring directly on public chains.
That approach raises an interesting point: much of the crypto activity under Sberbank’s system won’t touch blockchains directly. Instead, custody wallets will be under full bank control, and the platform will use active wallets to move funds between traditional banking infrastructure and blockchain addresses. In 2025 alone, Sberbank issued digital assets amounting to 408 billion rubles, highlighting the scale at which they are operating.
The platform will comply with Russia’s newly introduced rules for crypto markets, which come into effect September 1, 2026. These guidelines cover purchases through intermediaries, exchange trading, clearing services, and digital repositories responsible for asset registration.
Investors will be split into qualified and non-qualified categories with different conditions. Non-qualified investors must pass a basic knowledge test and will be limited to buying up to 300,000 rubles worth of the most liquid cryptocurrencies per year through one intermediary. Qualified investors passing a similar test can trade any cryptocurrency amount without limits.
The regulatory framework will involve banks, brokers, asset managers, crypto exchanges, and digital repositories. Exchanges will handle buying and selling cryptocurrencies; repositories will register ownership rights; brokers and asset managers will also oversee trades executed on organized platforms.
One restriction stands out: cryptocurrency use for domestic payments is banned. But Russian businesses can still use digital assets for international payments, especially for exporters and importers who can operate either through intermediaries or by direct wallet transfers.
This development aligns with Russia’s methodical push to regulate its crypto space firmly. Sberbank’s move is a key step ahead of this new market architecture. For a broader view on related efforts, see Sberbank Sets Sights on Launching Regulated Crypto Services by End of 2026.
