Russia's largest bank Sberbank is gearing up to accept $ETH and $USDT as loan collateral alongside $BTC once regulators greenlight public circulation.
They already tested crypto-backed corporate loans with mining firm AO Intelion Data last year. Now they're building out custody infrastructure as digital assets become core to Russia's cross-border trade and financial rails.
Deputy chairman Anatoly Popov says they've been front-running the regulatory shift and will roll out expanded crypto products as soon as the Bank of Russia gives the nod.
TLDR: Traditional finance in Russia is moving faster than most Western banks on crypto integration. Watch how this plays into sanctions evasion narratives and stablecoin demand in non-USD corridors.
They already tested crypto-backed corporate loans with mining firm AO Intelion Data last year. Now they're building out custody infrastructure as digital assets become core to Russia's cross-border trade and financial rails.
Deputy chairman Anatoly Popov says they've been front-running the regulatory shift and will roll out expanded crypto products as soon as the Bank of Russia gives the nod.
TLDR: Traditional finance in Russia is moving faster than most Western banks on crypto integration. Watch how this plays into sanctions evasion narratives and stablecoin demand in non-USD corridors.