Sberbank Plans Major Scale-Up of Crypto-Backed Loans in New Digital Finance Strategy - Crypto Economy

TL;DR

• Sberbank is preparing to scale crypto backed lending after issuing Russia’s first loan secured by cryptocurrency in late December, amid corporate client demand.
• The pilot used Rutoken custody and a loan to Intelion Data, as the bank tests infrastructure, procedures, and methodology for expansion.
• Sberbank says wider rollout hinges on clear regulation and Central Bank coordination, while Sovcombank enters the market and authorities target permanent rules by July 1, 2026.

Sberbank, Russia’s largest bank by assets, says it is preparing to scale up loans secured by cryptocurrency after issuing the country’s first such product in late December. The bank is positioning crypto collateral as a corporate finance instrument rather than a retail experiment. Its press service told Russian media it is analyzing results from the pilot and finalizing infrastructure, procedures, and methodology for wider deployment. The announcement lands as another Russian lender moves into the niche, signaling crypto backed credit is shifting from a test into a market segment quickly.

Sberbank’s Scaling from pilot loans to regulated crypto collateral

Sberbank said its pilot project was designed to test the technological aspects of working with digital assets as collateral. The pilot’s objective was proving custody, control, and reporting around pledged coins. It debuted the service by lending to Intelion Data, a participant in Russia’s crypto mining industry, against cryptocurrency minted by the firm. Sberbank used its Rutoken solution to ensure storage of the coins posted by the miner. Intelion is Russia’s second largest mining company after Bitriver, and together they control more than half of the sector’s capacity and revenue.


Sberbank confirmed to Reuters that it plans to issue more loans backed by cryptocurrency and highlighted strong interest from corporate clients, echoing demand it cited in December. Corporate miners are emerging as the primary buyers of crypto secured credit as they fund operations. It expects the niche to expand with upcoming regulations and rising interest across the mining industry. The timing also reflects shifting competitive dynamics: Sovcombank said it will offer similar loans to entities registered and active in Russia that actually own the cryptocurrency they pledge as collateral today.

Sberbank said scaling crypto collateral lending will depend on Russia’s regulatory environment and said it is ready to work with the Central Bank on solutions. Clear regulation is the gating factor for moving from pilots to mass adoption. It added that client work is grounded in understanding business models and risk profiles. Sberbank also offers crypto linked products, including Bitcoin futures, after the Bank of Russia authorized investments in crypto based derivatives last May. Russian authorities plan to replace the experimental legal regime with permanent rules by July 1, 2026.