Morning Edition · Thursday, October 8, 2026Published at 1:50 AM EDT · New York

Bank of Russia clears Sberbank and VTB to hold Bitcoin as it publishes its first register of crypto operators

Sberbank, Russia's largest bank and a target of United States sanctions, plans to offer Bitcoin, Ether and Tether custody inside its banking apps from December 1, with full identity checks on every transaction.

Sberbank said on Wednesday that the Bank of Russia had approved it for "digital currency record-keeping" and for transfers of those assets. The bank described itself as the first lender in Russia cleared to hold Bitcoin for clients. The app…