Sber targets Bitcoin loans under new law allowing BTC collateral

Sberbank, the financial institution that handles roughly a third of Russia’s retail banking, is preparing to let customers borrow against their Bitcoin holdings. The move follows President Vladimir Putin’s signing of Federal Law 282-FZ on August 4, 2026, which creates a legal framework separating crypto’s use as collateral and tradable assets from its role as a domestic payment method. Deputy Chairman Anatoly Popov made the announcement ahead of the Eastern Economic Forum, confirming that the bank also plans to extend collateral eligibility to Ethereum and Tether’s USDT stablecoin once the Bank of Russia formally signs off. From pilot to product This isn’t Sber’s first time experimenting with crypto-backed lending. The bank issued a pilot BTC-collateralized loan to AO Intelion Data back in December 2025, essentially stress-testing the concept before any formal legal backing existed. With the core provisions of Federal Law 282-FZ taking effect on September 1, Sber is positioning itself as the first major Russian bank to roll out crypto-backed lending at scale under a clear regulatory framework. The Bank of Russia proposed including BTC, ETH, and USDT for regulated trading on August ...