Russia's Largest Bank is Set to Launch Crypto Wallet

Russia's largest bank, Sberbank, is preparing to bring cryptocurrency directly into its retail and institutional banking ecosystem. The bank plans to introduce a crypto wallet and digital depository by December, pending the adoption of new digital asset legislation. Services will integrate into "Sberbank Online" and "SberInvestments" once the "On Digital Currency and Digital Rights" bill takes effect in September.

A Landmark Legislative Shift

The move is directly tied to Moscow's evolving regulatory posture. Russia's delayed cryptocurrency law is now expected to enter into force on the first day of September, a couple of months later than originally planned. According to Anatoly Aksakov, chair of the State Duma Committee on Financial Markets, the delay is due to "protracted approvals with government agencies," with the second and third readings of Bill No. 1194918-8 tentatively scheduled for July 21.

The legislation creates licenses for firms to engage in crypto trading, custody, digital-to-fiat exchange, and cross-border settlements. Non-qualified investors will be allowed to trade under testing requirements and limits capped at roughly 300,000 rubles (around $3,800) per year, while market participants will have until July 1, 2027, to enter the official registry. Under the bill, the current draft only admits top coins such as $BTC, $ETH, and Solana to the regulated market.

Sberbank Leads, Others Follow

Sberbank also plans to build a digital depository for storing and accounting for tokens. The bank is not alone. VTB and T-Bank, two other major financial institutions, are working on digital depositories after the law takes effect.

The push into crypto is a significant reversal for a bank that operates within a system that spent years resisting digital assets. The developments follow years of resistance from the Bank of Russia, which in January 2022 called for a broad ban on crypto trading, mining, and usage, citing risks to financial stability and monetary policy. That position began to shift after international sanctions tied to Russia's invasion of Ukraine cut Russian banks off from global payment networks, prompting authorities to allow crypto use in cross-border payments as an exception.

Sberbank serves more than 110 million customers, meaning its entry into regulated crypto services would represent one of the broadest retail rollouts of bank-integrated digital asset access anywhere in the world. The Moscow Exchange (MOEX) has also been moving into the cryptocurrency space, with the rollout of cash-settled futures contracts tied to various coins.

Sources:
CoinDesk: Russia's Largest Bank Plans Crypto Wallet Launch
Cryptopolitan: Russia to Enforce New Crypto Law on September 1
Bitcoin Magazine: Russia Advances Sweeping Crypto Regulation Bill