The largest bank in Russia, Sberbank, with assets under management (AUM) of over USD 550 billion (Rp8.9 quadrillion) is now starting to offer structured Bitcoin (BTC) bonds to its clients.
On Wednesday (6/4/2025), local Russian media reported that Sberbank has offered Bitcoin bonds to a small number of qualified investors directly.
A bank spokesperson also revealed that these bonds provide investors with two different ways to earn income, namely through the increase in Bitcoin prices in US Dollars and the strengthening of the US Dollar against the ruble.
Sberbank stated that the bank aims to expand its range of cryptocurrencies, developing similar crypto-related bonds that can be registered on the Moscow Exchange.
This means that similar crypto-related bonds such as Ether, Solana, or XRP may also be launched by the bank soon.
Similarly, the bank will also offer other instruments, such as futures, to its clients through its investment platform after its launch on the Moscow Exchange.
According to Russian law, the product is priced in Russian rubles. Sberbank will be the first bank to open the crypto market to qualified investors in Russia.
This development follows the approval of the country's central bank for financial institutions to develop crypto-related opportunities, including securities, derivatives, and digital financial assets.
However, the central bank in Russia requires full capital coverage and individual limits for these instruments, and has also warned financial institutions against making direct crypto investments.
