Russia's Biggest Bank Plans to Take Bitcoin — and Tether — as Loan Collateral

Sberbank, Russia's largest state-owned bank, plans to accept Bitcoin, Ethereum and Tether's USDT as collateral for loans, per TASS reporting the bank's stated intention. No timeline, loan-to-value ratios or regulatory approvals were disclosed. The plan surfaces days after the comment window closed on Russia's draft crypto framework — and gives USDT collateral status at a sanctioned state's flagship bank the same week EEA platforms complete their MiCA-driven removal of the token.