- Russia’s largest bank, Sber, plans to accept Tether’s USDt stablecoin and Ether as loan collateral in addition to Bitcoin.
- The expansion will occur after the Bank of Russia permits these assets for regulated public trading under a new crypto law signed by President Putin.
- Meanwhile, Sber’s CFO expressed skepticism about demand for Russia’s digital ruble CBDC, seeing little interest beyond the central bank.
Sber, Russia’s largest bank, announced plans to expand its crypto-backed lending to accept Tether’s USDt stablecoin and Ether as collateral alongside Bitcoin, according to a Friday TASS report by Deputy Chairman Anatoly Popov. The bank will adapt its existing products and gradually expand offerings as Russia’s new crypto law takes effect, Popov stated.
However, the additions will only occur after the Bank of Russia permits these assets for public trading, he noted. The plans follow a law signed by President Vladimir Putin on Aug. 4, with core provisions taking effect Sept. 1.
Consequently, the law grants the Bank of Russia authority to determine which crypto assets can trade on regulated exchanges. The central bank proposed Bitcoin, Ether and USDT on Aug. 11, citing they met requirements including market capitalization and at least five years of price history on overseas markets, according to the report.
Meanwhile, Sber has taken a more cautious view of the digital ruble, Russia’s central bank digital currency (CBDC), ahead of its wider rollout on Sept. 1. Chief Financial Officer Taras Skvortsov said the bank sees little evidence of broad demand for the CBDC.
“I don’t see any clear interest in this instrument, apart from the central bank’s,” Skvortsov said, adding that neither retail nor corporate clients nor financial institutions are actively pushing for the CBDC.
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