Sberbank to launch crypto trading system by Dec. 1, 2026

Sberbank will have its crypto trading platform running by the end of this year. The bank is building the infrastructure to track ownership, execute trades, and handle customer accounts under rules parliament is still finalizing.

Alexander Vedyakhin, the bank's First Deputy Chairman, told Interfax that the centerpiece will be a digital depository. It will record clients' crypto rights and account for off-chain transactions. The system will also route active wallets to fulfill currency transfer instructions. The full setup – trading infrastructure and the digital depository – is due by Dec. 1, 2026.

The work follows the State Duma's July 21 approval of the On Digital Currency and Digital Rights bill. It passed on the third reading, which sends it to the Federation Council and then to President Vladimir Putin for signature.

The legislation covers the full cycle: purchases by citizens, licensed intermediaries, exchange trading, clearing, custody, and digital depositories. Russia already permits crypto ownership, mining, trading, and limited overseas use under current rules. Domestic payments with crypto are still prohibited.

That creates a split framework. Separate laws cover taxation, anti-money laundering, mining, and digital financial assets. Businesses navigate multiple regimes instead of one. Sanctions, which complicate cross-border payments for Russian companies, keep driving interest in cryptocurrency.

Vedyakhin said many of the regulatory details still need writing. “A large number of bylaws necessary for building the infrastructure and technological base – from depository and accounting systems to licensing new types of intermediaries – remain to be developed and adopted.” Sberbank, he added, is ready to keep contributing its experience.