Sber is bringing to the market a fundamentally new tool for corporate clients: international settlements in cryptocurrency. Now, transfers between crypto wallets take just minutes, and the average transaction cost is about 0.3%, significantly lower than traditional banking fees.
This solution is available to all companies engaged in foreign economic activity, with no minimum amount restrictions. The system automatically generates all necessary documentation for banks and currency control, relieving businesses of a significant portion of administrative burden.
How the new service works
The launch was announced by Alexander Vedyakhin, First Deputy Chairman of the Executive Board of Sberbank, at the Eastern Economic Forum. According to him, for Russian exporters and importers, cryptocurrency settlements open access to new markets and partners previously unavailable due to restrictions. A pilot project conducted by the Central Bank since September 2024 under an experimental legal framework confirmed high demand for such solutions.
It is important to note that this step became possible thanks to systemic changes in legislation. In early August, the President of Russia signed a law regulating the circulation of digital currencies and defining the rules for crypto exchanges, depositories, and brokers. Most of the provisions came into force on September 1, 2026. It is precisely this legal foundation that Sber relies on.
A key point was the exemption from the ban on paying for goods with cryptocurrency: lawmakers removed settlements under foreign trade contracts between residents and non-residents from restrictions. This opens the way for the bank to conduct cross-border payments without the risk of violating the law.
The practice of cryptocurrency settlements under international contracts is already widespread in the European Union, the United Kingdom, Hong Kong, the UAE, Iran, Japan, Turkey, and a number of other states. Sber is essentially bringing mechanisms proven by global practice to Russian soil.
Connection to Sber's previous plans
International settlements are not the bank's only step into the crypto market. Earlier, Sber had already disclosed plans to launch instruments tied to cryptocurrencies, and the volume of client investments in such products exceeded 2 billion rubles. The bank intends to expand its line of structured bonds and digital financial assets (DFAs) linked to BTC and ETH. Cross-border payments logically fit into this strategy — Sber is moving from investment products to practical settlements for businesses.
In parallel, the bank is building trading infrastructure. According to Vedyakhin, Sber will launch cryptocurrency trading and a digital depository by December 1, 2026. This will give qualified investors a legal banking framework instead of foreign platforms. Together with international payments, this builds a full cycle: from trading and storing assets to using them in real transactions with foreign partners.
The bank is also betting on technology beyond the crypto market. In August, Sber introduced an autonomous AI agent called "GigaAgent," which manages the calendar, works with documents, and prepares reports without step-by-step oversight. This emphasis on artificial intelligence and digital services shows that cryptocurrency settlements are part of the bank's broader strategy to implement new financial technologies for corporate clients.
My view: Sber's launch of cross-border crypto payments is not just another product, but a signal of the maturity of Russian regulation. The bank is systematically integrating into international practice, where cryptocurrency has already become a working tool for foreign economic activity. The question now is the speed of scaling and the readiness of businesses to transition to new rails of settlement.