Sberbank to Launch Regulated Crypto Trading Platform by Dec 1 2026
Russia’s largest bank, Sberbank, will roll out a regulated cryptocurrency trading infrastructure and a digital depository by December 1 2026. The new system will record customers’ crypto ownership, process most transactions off‑chain and operate active wallets for deposits, withdrawals and transfers. The launch follows a Russian crypto regulatory framework that becomes effective on September 1 2026, with mandatory use of licensed intermediaries to be enforced from July 2027. Under the rules, a cryptocurrency must have an average market capitalisation of at least 5 trillion rubles and a daily trading volume of at least 1 trillion rubles over the previous two years to be listed on public exchanges. Non‑qualified investors may purchase up to 300,000 rubles (about $3,800) per year after passing a knowledge test, while qualified investors receive a limit ten times higher. Payments for goods and services with crypto remain prohibited. Sberbank’s First Deputy Chairman Alexander Vedyakhin confirmed the timeline, noting the digital depository will serve as the core of the platform.
Entities: Alexander Vedyakhin · Bank of Russia · Russian Federation Council · Sberbank · State Duma
Claims
What the coverage asserts, and how well corroborated each claim is across sources.
- [● 2 SOURCES] Mandatory use of licensed intermediaries becomes enforceable from July 2027. (Regulatory timeline)
- [○ 1 SOURCE] Crypto payments for purchases remain prohibited in Russia. (Regulatory policy)
- [● 5 SOURCES] Russia's new crypto law will become effective on 1 September 2026, establishing a regulated market and licensing framework for intermediaries. (Legislative updates)
- [● 4 SOURCES] Eligible cryptocurrencies must have an average market capitalisation of at least 5 trillion rubles and an average daily trading volume of at least 1 trillion rubles over the past two years. (Regulatory thresholds)
- [● 6 SOURCES] Sberbank will create a digital depository to record customer crypto ownership. (Sberbank statements)
- [● 5 SOURCES] Sberbank plans to launch a cryptocurrency trading infrastructure by 1 December 2026. (Sberbank's announcements across all articles)
- [○ 1 SOURCE] Non‑qualified investors are limited to purchasing crypto worth about $3,800, while qualified investors have a limit ten times higher. (Bank of Russia Governor)
- [● 4 SOURCES] The depository will process most transactions off‑chain and support active wallets for deposits, withdrawals and transfers. (Sberbank announcements)
- [● 3 SOURCES] Qualified investors have a purchase limit ten times higher than non‑qualified investors. (Qualified investors may buy up to roughly 3 million rubles (~$38,000) annually.)
- [● 7 SOURCES] Sberbank will launch cryptocurrency trading infrastructure by Dec 1 2026. (Sberbank plans to have a crypto trading platform operational by Dec 1 2026.)
- [● 5 SOURCES] Sberbank will launch a digital depository to record customers' cryptocurrency ownership by Dec 1 2026. (The digital depository will record client crypto ownership and process off‑chain transactions.)
- [● 3 SOURCES] Non‑qualified investors may purchase up to 300,000 rubles of cryptocurrency per year after passing a knowledge test. (The limit for retail investors is set at 300,000 rubles (~$3,800) annually.)