Bank accounting of cryptocurrency in Russia is moving from idea to launch: Sber has confirmed that by December 1, 2026, it will create a digital depository and infrastructure for trading crypto assets.
Previously, the bank spoke of such a service as a project that would become possible after the adoption of a new law. Now the legal framework has appeared, and preparations are moving into the practical realm.
What Sber Will Launch
The digital depository is expected to become a registry for crypto assets. Through it, the bank will be able to account for clients’ rights, support transactions, and work with digital coins in a regulated environment.
Sber plans to create infrastructure for cryptocurrency trading and launch a digital depository by December 1, 2026.
This is an important step for the market: cryptocurrency, digital currency, and blockchain tokens will be able to enter a transparent banking accounting system, and investments in such instruments will receive a more transparent operational foundation.
How This May Work for Clients
A cryptocurrency bank account in this model is not a replacement for a regular checking account, but a banking environment where the client can see and account for crypto assets, and transactions follow clear rules of control and accounting.
If a client needs to withdraw cryptocurrency to a bank account, the logic comes down to several steps: the asset is transferred or sold through an authorized intermediary, the transaction is verified, and then the monetary result is credited to the bank account. For businesses, compliance, clear reporting, asset storage conditions, and the bank’s readiness to work with crypto operations are important here.
The Law Has Been Adopted, but the Rules Still Need to Be Fine-Tuned
The bank supported the adoption of the law regulating the crypto market and called it a significant stage in the formation of the crypto asset market in Russia. Sber believes that the new rules should take into account the interests of the state, protect investors, and at the same time not hinder the development of the industry.
One law alone is still not enough for a full-fledged launch. The regulator will need to describe depository and accounting procedures, rules for accounting entries, the procedure for licensing intermediaries, and reporting requirements.
It will be especially important to determine how to reflect such an asset in accounting and financial statements. In practical accounting, organizations will need to understand which account to use for crypto assets, at what value to recognize them, and what entries to make when buying, selling, revaluing, or writing off. For tax accounting, the key points will remain the moment income or expense arises, profit tax calculation, VAT application, and the obligation to file a declaration when transactions result in taxable income.
Tax issues usually arise when selling, exchanging, receiving income in cryptocurrency, or recording a financial result from such transactions. If tax is not paid on such operations, the consequences will be tax-related: additional charges, penalties, and fines.
Why This Is Important for the Crypto Market
Sber has been preparing to enter the crypto market for several years. The bank already offers qualified investors products linked to bitcoin and ether, and in December 2025, it tested lending secured by cryptocurrency.
The new rules should separate different categories so that market participants do not mix different instruments:
- Digital currency is a separate type of asset that can be accounted for in the financial system.
- Electronic money is a different instrument, not equal to digital currency.
- Regular currency remains an independent category.
- Bitcoin or another blockchain token does not become legal tender, but can be used in investment products.
For practice, it is also important to determine how to value crypto assets: at acquisition cost, at market price on the transaction date, in rubles, in another currency, or pegged to the US dollar. The chosen approach will determine the calculation of the tax base: it is necessary to record the moment of the transaction, the value of the asset, and the financial result so that the accounting of money and reporting are clear to bank clients.
The Russian model will develop within its own legal framework: digital currency does not become legal tender, but there is a desire to integrate it into regulated accounting and investment infrastructure. Belarus built its crypto environment through the High Technology Park, focusing on a special regime for market participants. China’s digital economy demonstrates a stricter state framework for working with digital assets.
The main result for clients and market participants is simple: Sber is no longer limited to plans. After the adoption of the federal law of the Russian Federation, the bank is preparing infrastructure that can make cryptocurrency transactions closer to the familiar banking format.
