- Sberbank’s initiative follows its pilot Bitcoin-backed loan with a mining firm in January.
- It targets both crypto-mining companies and other businesses
Russia’s largest bank is moving to treat cryptocurrency as standard loan collateral, stepping into a market that is reopening under new rules. Sberbank is preparing to offer loans secured by crypto assets after completing what it calls Russia’s first Bitcoin-backed loan with major miner IntelionData in January.
According to Reuters, the move comes as lawmakers work toward a comprehensive legal framework for digital assets targeted for mid-2026. Sberbank said the planned lending program will target not only mining companies but also businesses that hold cryptocurrency on their balance sheets.
The pilot transaction with IntelionData tested how Bitcoin can serve as collateral within a regulated banking structure and could serve as a template for future deals.
The lender already offers clients structured bonds and digital financial assets tied to bitcoin and ether and is testing decentralized finance instruments, according to Deputy Chairman Anatoly Popov, who voiced support for the gradual legalization of cryptocurrencies within Russia’s legal framework.
See Related: Russia’s Largest Bank Participates In Central Bank’s Cryptocurrency Settlement Pilot
Sberbank Pilots Bitcoin Loan As DFA Volumes Surge
The bank’s regulated digital financial asset business expanded rapidly in 2025. Total DFA issuance on Sberbank’s platform reportedly reached 408 billion rubles (about 4.9–5.3 billion dollars), more than 5.6 times the 73 billion rubles (around 948 million dollars) in 2024 and 204 times the 2 billion rubles (roughly 26 million dollars) in 2023.
The bank’s own DFA holdings grew sevenfold in six months to 185 billion rubles (about 2.2 billion dollars). By comparison, Sberbank’s traditional balance sheet remains dominant, with a corporate loan portfolio of 30.4 trillion rubles, retail loans of 18.8 trillion rubles, and client deposits of 33.1 trillion rubles as of December 2025.
Competition in crypto-backed lending is also emerging. On February 5, Sovcombank launched crypto-backed loans to individuals and businesses that legally hold bitcoin.
Russia reopened its cryptocurrency market to the public in December 2025 under new central bank rules, and officials expect to finalize legislation governing crypto assets by July 1, 2026.
