Sberbank is making moves to expand its crypto services in Russia. Anatoly Popov, Sber’s Deputy Chairman, laid out the bank’s priorities: crypto-backed lending, cross-border settlements for businesses, and a look at the current market size.

Crypto-Backed Loans

Sberbank is doubling down on crypto-backed lending. Beyond BTC, the bank plans to accept ETH and USDT as collateral once the Russian Central Bank gives the green light. According to Sber, there’s already solid demand for these loans—especially from miners and companies holding large crypto bags.

Crypto Payments Coming to SberBusiness

By the end of the year, SberBusiness will roll out international crypto payments. Businesses will be able to pick crypto as a payment option and get all the paperwork needed for each transaction.

Market Volume and Exchange Flows

Crypto trading volume in Russia is estimated at about 50 billion rubles a day, or 18 trillion rubles per year. Sberbank figures that in the first year of regulation, around 3.5–4 trillion rubles could shift to exchange trading, with that number potentially climbing to 7.5 trillion rubles by 2029.

OTC Market Still Matters

Sberbank expects a big chunk of crypto deals to keep flowing through OTC exchanges and swap shops. The bank doesn’t see the regulated market reaching full maturity in the next year.