Sberbank plans BTC, ETH and USDT-backed loans

Sberbank plans to expand its crypto-backed lending business by accepting Bitcoin, Ethereum and Tether’s USDT as collateral, Deputy Chairman Anatoly Popov told TASS on Aug. 28. Summary Sberbank plans to accept Bitcoin, Ethereum and USDT as collateral after required regulatory approval arrives. Russia’s new crypto market framework takes effect September 1, 2026, under formal central bank supervision. Non-qualified investors may purchase 300,000 rubles annually through each intermediary after passing mandatory knowledge tests. Sberbank completed a Bitcoin-backed loan pilot with Russian mining company Intelion Data during December 2025. Cryptocurrency payments for goods and services remain prohibited within Russia despite the expanded regulatory framework. However, the proposal remains conditional. Popov said the Russian bank would only add ETH and USDT after the Bank of Russia permits their public circulation. Sberbank has not announced a launch date, loan terms or eligible customer groups. “We plan to accept not only Bitcoin but also Ethereum and the stablecoin Tether as collateral,” Popov said. He added that the expansion would begin only “after the Central Bank, of course, allows t...