• Interfax reports that the Bank of Russia added Sberbank to its register of digital currency exchangers on 12 October 2026, after it joined the digital depository register earlier that month.
• Sberbank says it plans to launch its first products on 1 December through interfaces clients already use; that date is the bank's plan, not a regulatory commitment.
• The Bank of Russia describes exchangers as firms that buy and sell digital currencies in their own name and for their own account, outside organised trading.
• Firms admitted under the transitional provisions have until 1 September 2027 to bring their activities into line with the law, according to the Bank of Russia.
• Published register counts differ between sources (Interfax says eight exchangers, CoinDesk says nine), so the central bank's own register is the reference.

Sberbank, Russia's largest bank, was added on 12 October 2026 to the Bank of Russia's register of digital currency exchangers, according to Interfax citing a regulator statement. Earlier in October it joined the digital depository register. Sberbank says it plans to launch its first products on 1 December. That date is the bank's own target, not a regulatory commitment.

What the two registers authorise

The Bank of Russia's 6 October announcement splits the work in two. Digital depositories may record and transfer digital currencies and give clients access to the addresses where assets are recorded. Exchangers may buy and sell digital currencies in their own name and for their own account, outside organised trading. Sberbank now sits on both registers, which is the licensed plumbing for custody and dealing.

A transitional regime, not a finished one

The Bank of Russia says the first entrants were admitted under transitional provisions of the law on digital currencies and digital rights, which took effect on 1 September 2026. From inclusion they must follow the rules for conducting and recording transactions, and they have until 1 September 2027 to bring their activities fully into line. Interfax reports that banks could apply for licences from 5 October.

The perimeter stays narrow

CoinDesk reports that domestic crypto payments remain prohibited, so the channel is a regulated investment route, not a payments rail. Sberbank is reportedly testing BTC, ETH and USDT in its app, but it told Vedomosti, as relayed by CoinDesk, that the central bank will set the final coin list. Until that list is published, which tokens clients can trade is unconfirmed.

What to watch

Three things decide how much this matters: the Bank of Russia's permitted-coin list, whether Sberbank meets its 1 December target, and how the stablecoin question is handled. Register counts also differ between outlets, with Interfax citing eight exchangers and CoinDesk nine, so readers should check the central bank's published registers directly. CoinDesk also reports a July 2027 requirement to route transactions through registered intermediaries, a date worth confirming against the law.