Sber targets Bitcoin loans under new law allowing BTC collateral

Sberbank, the financial institution that handles roughly a third of Russia’s retail banking, is preparing to let customers borrow against their Bitcoin holdings. The move follows President Vladimir Putin’s signing of Federal Law 282-FZ on August 4, 2026, which creates a legal framework separating crypto’s use as collateral and tradable assets from its role as a domestic payment method.

Deputy Chairman Anatoly Popov made the announcement ahead of the Eastern Economic Forum, confirming that the bank also plans to extend collateral eligibility to Ethereum and Tether’s USDT stablecoin once the Bank of Russia formally signs off.

From pilot to product

This isn’t Sber’s first time experimenting with crypto-backed lending. The bank issued a pilot BTC-collateralized loan to AO Intelion Data back in December 2025, essentially stress-testing the concept before any formal legal backing existed.

With the core provisions of Federal Law 282-FZ taking effect on September 1, Sber is positioning itself as the first major Russian bank to roll out crypto-backed lending at scale under a clear regulatory framework.

The Bank of Russia proposed including BTC, ETH, and USDT for regulated trading on August 11, 2026, roughly a week after Putin signed the law.

Sber is also targeting the launch of a regulated digital asset depository by December 1, 2026. If that timeline holds, it would give the bank end-to-end infrastructure: custody, collateral assessment, and lending, all under one roof.

Russia’s regulatory about-face

Russia’s journey with crypto has been inconsistent. For years, the central bank pushed for an outright ban on cryptocurrency mining and trading. As recently as early 2022, the Bank of Russia published a report advocating for a blanket prohibition.

Mining became legal for registered entities in late 2024. Now, barely two years later, the country’s biggest bank is preparing to lend money against Bitcoin.

Federal Law 282-FZ draws a deliberate line in the sand. Crypto can be used as collateral for loans and traded through licensed intermediaries, but it cannot be used to buy a coffee or pay rent.

Sber isn’t alone in reading the regulatory tea leaves. Sovcombank, another major Russian lender, has already started offering similar crypto-backed products.

What this means for the market

No specific loan terms, interest rates, loan-to-value ratios, or customer eligibility criteria have been disclosed yet, and the entire product line still awaits the Bank of Russia’s final approval.

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