Russia's first batch of crypto trading platforms and custodians approved; Sberbank plans to launch crypto products in December.

BlockBeats news, October 7 — The Central Bank of Russia announced that, under the new crypto regulatory rules effective from September 1, it has registered the first batch of authorized crypto trading platform operators and digital asset custodians, including 4 trading platform operators and 5 custodians. Russia's largest bank, Sberbank, has been included in the list of custodians, while VTB Bank has been included in both lists.

Sberbank said it has applied for digital asset custodian status and plans to launch its first crypto products on December 1, initially supporting Bitcoin (BTC), Ethereum (ETH), and USDT, with users able to access related services through existing platforms such as SberBank Online, SberInvestments, and SberBusiness.

This registration follows Russian President Putin's signing of a crypto regulatory bill in August, which established a regulatory framework covering trading platforms, custodians, brokers, and investors, overseen by the Central Bank of Russia, while continuing to prohibit the use of cryptocurrencies for payment for goods and services.