Sberbank Makes History: Russia’s First Corporate Loan Secured by Mined Cryptocurrency

Sberbank just tore up the traditional lending rulebook. The Russian financial giant has issued the country's first-ever corporate loan using mined digital assets as collateral—a watershed moment for crypto's march into mainstream finance.

From Mining Rigs to Balance Sheets

Forget vague promises of future adoption. This deal moves crypto from speculative asset to recognized financial instrument. A corporate borrower is now using its mining operation's output—actual, mined cryptocurrency—to secure capital from one of the world's largest banks. It's asset-backed lending, just not as Wall Street knows it.

The New Collateral on the Block

The mechanism is simple, yet revolutionary. The bank accepts a pool of mined crypto as security, valuing it against the loan. It bypasses years of regulatory hand-wringing and directly integrates digital asset production into corporate treasury strategy. Suddenly, mining isn't just about selling for profit; it's about unlocking working capital.

Why This Cuts Through the Noise

This isn't another press release about "exploring blockchain." It's a live transaction on a bank's ledger. It proves that major financial institutions, even within complex regulatory landscapes, can structure real products around crypto's intrinsic value. It turns mining from a purely operational cost center into a strategic financial asset.

The Ripple Effect

Watch for copycats. Sberbank's move pressures competitors globally to develop their own crypto-collateralized products or risk losing clients to more innovative lenders. It also sets a precedent for regulators elsewhere to stop debating abstract risks and start crafting rules for tangible use cases.

One cynical finance jab? It took a bank to finally show crypto bros how to use their digital gold for something more productive than buying JPEGs of apes. The old guard might just teach the new wave a thing or two about real utility.

— CryptoDaku (@CryptoDaku_) December 28, 2025

Crypto Collateral Managed via In-House Custody Technology

Under the pilot structure, Intelion Data pledged cryptocurrencies it mined itself as collateral for the loan. Sberbank secured the digital assets using its proprietary hardware custody solution,, designed to safely store crypto collateral throughout the loan term.

Details regarding the loan size, duration, and the specific altcoins used as collateral were not disclosed. Sberbank emphasized that the transaction is a, intended to validate operational and risk-management mechanisms for digital asset–backed lending.

Intelion Data is Russia’s, reporting approximately. The company operates data centers with a combined power capacity of around, highlighting its scale within the domestic mining industry.

Intelion Data CEOdescribed the deal as “a signal that the market has reached a new level,” adding that a successful pilot could pave the way for broader adoption across Russia’s mining sector. The expansion of crypto-backed lending, he noted, could accelerate the development of the digital economy.

Regulatory Momentum Toward 2026 Legal Framework

Sberbank Deputy Chairmanacknowledged that Russia’s regulatory framework for digital currencies remains in its early stages. He said the bank is working closely with theto develop appropriate regulatory solutions and supporting infrastructure.

Earlier this year, the Central Bank submitted a comprehensive crypto regulation proposal to the government. The plan aims to complete legal reforms by, allowing retail investors to trade cryptocurrencies with an annual cap of approximatelyper person.

Popov added that crypto-backed loans could become useful not only for miners, but also for, signaling broader institutional use cases once regulation matures.

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