Sberbank Wins Russian Crypto Exchange Authorization, Launch Set for December

Sberbank's entry matters less as a new venue than as a distribution event: crypto access arriving inside a systemically important bank's existing apps reaches a mainstream audience that never sought out a standalone exchange. The limits on non-qualified investors suggest regulators are trading adoption for guardrails, which shapes who can actually participate at launch. The open question is whether this model — large incumbent, restricted retail access, limited asset menu — becomes the template for Russian crypto, or remains a single-bank experiment.