Stablecoins are now on par with dollar deposits in banks in terms of reliability, and in some respects even surpass them. However, the optimal strategy for preserving capital is not to choose just one, but to wisely distribute funds among different instruments.

2026 presents Russian investors with a difficult choice: how to preserve dollar savings under sanctions pressure and the instability of the traditional banking system? In my opinion, the answer lies in a symbiosis of digital and classical financial instruments.

Stablecoins, Deposits, and Cash: Betting on Diversification

The reliability of stablecoins today has reached a level comparable to bank currency products. There are currently virtually no problems with cash dollars — temporary difficulties are a thing of the past. But the key principle I recommend to my clients is diversification.

An optimal portfolio of dollar savings should include three components:

  • Stablecoins: some of them must be non-custodial — that is, stored in wallets where you fully control the private keys. This eliminates the risk of funds being frozen by platforms.
  • Bank deposits: a classic instrument that, however, requires careful selection of a bank considering the current market conditions.
  • Cash dollars: physical money remains a reliable reserve in case of force majeure.

This structure allows mitigating the drawbacks of each instrument. For example, bank deposits can be frozen, and cash can be stolen. Stablecoins are protected from physical risks but are vulnerable in the digital space.

The Main Risk of Stablecoins Is Not Sanctions, But IT Security

Many mistakenly believe that the main threat to stablecoins is sanctions pressure or regulatory restrictions. In practice, as recent incidents show, information security risks come first.

The most dangerous scenarios:

  • Attacks on centralized exchanges where your assets are stored.
  • Hacks of users' personal devices — phishing, malware, seed phrase leaks.

In second place are blockages and uncertainty of legal regulation in Russia. However, as an analyst, I believe that IT risks represent a real threat that is often underestimated. Even the most reliable stablecoin is useless if you lose access to your wallet.

Expert opinion: In current conditions, I recommend using non-custodial wallets (e.g., MetaMask or Ledger) for storing stablecoins and never keeping all funds on one platform. The combination of "stablecoins + bank deposit + cash" is not just a conservative strategy, but the only reasonable approach for preserving dollar savings in 2026.