Russia's central bank registers first crypto exchanges and custodians under new framework
The Bank of Russia published its first registers of crypto exchange operators and digital custodians, approving four exchange operators and five custodians including Sberbank and VTB.
Why it matters
Russia's banks are now operating under a central bank framework for crypto custody and trading rather than outside one, and the first permits put Sberbank and VTB on the register alongside four specialist operators and infrastructure providers. Firms admitted under transitional provisions have until September 1, 2027 to meet the full framework, which sets a dated compliance deadline rather than an open-ended one.
Where the sources disagree
Start date of the registration system
Registration system came into effect October 5, 2026
Crypto News (CryptoNews.net), Bitcoinist
Regulations took effect September 1; registers published October 6
Cointelegraph, Crypto.News, CoinGape, TheNewsCrypto
Crypto News and Bitcoinist date the effective start of the registration system to October 5, 2026, while Cointelegraph, Crypto.News, CoinGape and TheNewsCrypto state the regulations themselves took effect on September 1 and describe October 5 or 6 as when the registers were published.
Number of registered digital custodians
Five digital depositories
Cointelegraph, Crypto.News, TheNewsCrypto
Custodian count not stated
CoinGape
Most outlets report five digital depositories, but TheNewsCrypto's key takeaways call the figure five while its own body text also states five, and CoinGape's headline refers only to Sberbank without giving a custodian count.
Date of the register publication
Published October 6
CoinGape, TheNewsCrypto
Framework effective October 5; publication date not specified
Cointelegraph, Bitcoinist
CoinGape and TheNewsCrypto report the registers were published on October 6, while Cointelegraph dates its report to a Tuesday publication without naming the date, and Crypto News and Bitcoinist point to October 5 as the system's effective date.
Key facts
The Bank of Russia published its first registers of authorised cryptocurrency exchange operators and digital custodians, adding four exchange operators and five custodians.
Reported by Cointelegraph
The custodian register lists Sberbank, VTB Bank, Atomyze, Voltari and Cloud Infrastructure.
Reported by Cointelegraph
VTB Bank appears on both the exchange operator and custodian registers.
Reported by Cointelegraph
The exchange operator register comprises VTB Bank, Zephyr, Sistema Crypto and T-Invest Lab.
Reported by Cointelegraph
Sberbank plans to launch its first crypto products on December 1, initially supporting Bitcoin, Ether and USDT through its SberBank Online, SberInvestments and SberBusiness platforms.
Reported by Cointelegraph
Registered exchange operators may buy and sell digital currencies in their own name and at their own expense outside organised trading venues, while custodians record and transfer digital currencies and grant clients access to the addresses holding those assets.
Reported by TheNewsCrypto
Russia's ban on using cryptocurrency to pay for goods and services remains in place.
Reported by Cointelegraph
What happened
The Bank of Russia published its first registers of authorised cryptocurrency exchange operators and digital custodians on October 6, adding four exchange operators and five digital depositories under a framework that governs digital currencies and digital rights. The custodian register lists Sberbank, VTB Bank, Atomyze, Voltari and Cloud Infrastructure; the exchange operator register lists VTB Bank, Zephyr, Sistema Crypto and T-Invest Lab, so VTB appears on both lists. The first admissions were made under transitional provisions of the law 'On Digital Currency and Digital Rights', which requires registered firms to bring their operations fully into line with the framework by September 1, 2027, while transaction and accounting rules apply immediately. Sberbank said it applied for digital custodian status and plans to launch its first crypto products on December 1, initially supporting Bitcoin, Ether and USDT through its existing SberBank Online, SberInvestments and SberBusiness platforms. Registered exchange operators can buy and sell digital currencies in their own name and at their own expense outside organised trading venues, while custodians record and transfer digital currencies and give clients access to the addresses where those assets are held. Russia's domestic ban on using cryptocurrency to pay for goods and services remains in place.
How the story developed
- Official statement
Central bank registration system for exchanges and custodians comes into effect
Companies must register with central bank registers to provide crypto services legally; procedures cover documents, manager qualifications and how decisions are made.
- Official statement
Sberbank states plan to launch crypto products on December 1
The bank said it applied for digital custodian status and will initially support Bitcoin, Ether and USDT through existing platforms.
- First report
First report by Crypto News (CryptoNews.net)
A New Era Begins for Crypto Exchanges in Russia: Central Bank Registration Becomes Mandatory!
- Official statement
Bank of Russia publishes first registers of crypto operators
Four exchange operators and five digital custodians were added, including Sberbank on the custodian list and VTB Bank on both lists.
- Independent corroboration
Independently corroborated by Cointelegraph
Russia clears first crypto exchanges, custodians under new law
- Official statement
Russian president signs crypto law creating regulated framework
The law put exchanges, custodians, brokers and investors under Bank of Russia oversight and kept the ban on crypto payments for goods and services.
- Official statement
Regulations on digital currency and digital rights take effect
Reported as the start of the regulated crypto market; registered firms must follow transaction and accounting rules immediately.
How coverage built up
Independent sources over time, counted the way the consensus panel counts them: a republication of a wire story does not move the line.
- 5 Oct 2026, 09:31 UTC: Crypto News (CryptoNews.net) — 1 independent source, 1 reports
- 7 Oct 2026, 08:06 UTC: Cointelegraph — 2 independent sources, 2 reports
- 7 Oct 2026, 10:06 UTC: Crypto.News — 3 independent sources, 3 reports
- 7 Oct 2026, 10:24 UTC: CoinGape — 4 independent sources, 4 reports
- 7 Oct 2026, 12:17 UTC: TheNewsCrypto — 5 independent sources, 5 reports
- 7 Oct 2026, 18:00 UTC: Bitcoinist — 6 independent sources, 6 reports
Affected entities
Original sources
| Publisher | Report | Role | Published |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crypto News (CryptoNews.net) Aggregator | A New Era Begins for Crypto Exchanges in Russia: Central Bank Registration Becomes Mandatory! | Original | |
| Cointelegraph Crypto media | Russia clears first crypto exchanges, custodians under new law | Independent | |
| Crypto.News Crypto media | Russia approves first crypto exchanges and custodians under new rules | Independent | |
| CoinGape Crypto media | Russia’s Sberbank Approved as Crypto Custodian for Bitcoin, Ethereum and USDT | Independent | |
| Bitcoinist Crypto media | Russia Starts Licensing Crypto Exchanges And Custodians Under New Register | Independent | |
| TheNewsCrypto Crypto media | Russia Registers First Crypto Trading and Custody Firms Under New Rules | Syndicated |
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