Russia’s largest bank, Sber, has unveiled a new Bitcoin-linked bond, giving accredited investors exposure to crypto market movements without direct ownership of digital assets. The bond tracks Bitcoin’s price fluctuations alongside the US dollar to Russian ruble exchange rate, offering a potential hedge and profit opportunity based on market volatility.

The product is already accessible in the over-the-counter market and is expected to be listed soon on the Moscow Stock Exchange. Sber emphasized that this listing will boost transparency, liquidity, and accessibility for eligible investors. The bank also assured that all transactions are carried out in rubles under Russian regulatory oversight, eliminating the need for crypto wallets or unregulated exchanges.

This strategic rollout follows the Bank of Russia’s decision to allow financial institutions to offer certain crypto-related products to qualified investors, provided they don’t offer cryptocurrencies directly. On the same day, another major institution, T-Bank, also launched a Bitcoin-linked product, labeling it a “smart asset” issued via the government-supported tokenization platform Atomyze.

Sber plans to go further by listing a Bitcoin futures-based product on its SberInvestments platform, with the launch targeted for June 4, aligning with the Moscow Exchange’s official crypto-related offerings debut.

Recent data from the central bank reveals that Russians hold roughly 827 billion rubles ($9.2 billion) in crypto assets on centralized platforms. Crypto inflows into Russian exchanges have soared 51% in Q1 2025, reaching 7.3 trillion rubles ($81.5 billion). Bitcoin dominates the market with a 62% share, trailed by Ether at 22% and stablecoins such as Tether and USDC.

Sber’s bold move signals growing institutional confidence in crypto-related instruments within Russia’s tightly regulated financial system.