Overview
- Russia’s largest lender confirms it is testing multiple decentralized finance tools in response to rising customer interest in crypto trading and holdings.
- The bank is prioritizing asset tokenization and connectivity to public networks, citing Ethereum for mature smart‑contract infrastructure.
- Trials evaluate whether decentralized protocols can support trading, asset management, and settlement within bank‑integrated workflows.
- Sberbank points to demand from roughly 109 million retail users and more than 3 million corporate clients as it explores direct crypto access.
- Executives say offerings will be developed with regulators, with any broad rollout contingent on comprehensive rules expected in 2026, as peers like VTB report similar client preferences shaped by cross‑border needs.