Russia’s Sberbank to Expand Crypto-Backed Lending for Corporate Clients

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Russia’s largest financial institution, Sberbank, has announced plans to begin issuing loans backed by cryptocurrency to its corporate clients, citing significant market demand.

A bank spokesperson confirmed the initiative to Reuters on Thursday, stating Sberbank is prepared to collaborate with the nation’s central bank to help shape the necessary regulatory framework.

This development follows a pilot program launched in late 2025, in which Sberbank provided a crypto-backed loan to the mining firm Intelion Data. The loan was secured with cryptocurrency that the company had mined itself, though the exact value of the transaction was not disclosed.

While Sberbank’s domestic competitor, Sovkombank, was the first Russian lender to offer such services, Sberbank’s move signals a major expansion of the practice.

The growing role of digital assets in Russia’s economy and international trade underpins this financial innovation. With transactions in traditional global currencies heavily restricted by Western sanctions, cryptocurrencies are increasingly utilized as alternative settlement tools.