Russia approves first crypto exchanges and custodians

6.6 Regulation

Oct 7, 2026

Russia registered its first crypto exchanges and custodians, including Sberbank and VTB. Sberbank will launch crypto products on December 1 under new regulations.

Russia has officially registered its first four cryptocurrency exchange operators and five digital custodians under new regulations effective from September 1. The Bank of Russia published initial lists naming Sberbank, Atomyze, Voltari, and Cloud Infrastructure as custodians. T-Invest Lab, Zefir, and Sistema-Crypto are among the approved exchange operators, while VTB Bank is listed as both a custodian and an exchange operator. Sberbank plans to launch its first crypto products on December 1, initially supporting Bitcoin, Ether, and USDt through its existing platforms. These registrations follow an August law that established a regulated framework for exchanges, custodians, brokers, and investors, placing the market under the Bank of Russia’s supervision. The law maintains Russia’s ban on using crypto for payments. Registered entities must comply immediately with transaction and accounting rules and fully adapt to the new framework by September 1, 2027.