Sberbank plans December 1 crypto rollout for its 110 million retail customers

Sberbank plans to offer Bitcoin, Ether and Tether’s USDT to its 110.6 million retail customers on December 1, after the Bank of Russia cleared Russia’s largest lender as a crypto exchange and digital depository. The exchange approval came on October 12, and the assets will be available through Sberbank Online, SberInvestments and SberBusiness, apps customers already use. A digital depository records clients’ cryptocurrency rights and transactions outside the main blockchain. Non-qualified retail buyers are limited to 300,000 rubles (about $3,600) a year and must pass a knowledge test; crypto payments for goods and transfers between individuals remain illegal, though some direct deals are allowed until July 1, 2027.