Major Russian lender Sberbank (OTC: SBRCY) said on Thursday it had received a central bank license to issue and exchange digital financial assets on its platform.
What Happened: Sberbank, which has reportedly been working on launching its own cryptocurrency, said the approval would allow companies to issue their digital assets and make other transactions on its platform.
“Companies will be able to make their first transaction on our blockchain platform one month from now. We are just starting our work with digital assets, realizing that further development requires adaptation of the current regulatory framework,” said Sergey Popov, director of Sberbank's Transaction Business Division.
See Also: Russian Capital Flees To Dubai Through Crypto
Why It Matters: State-owned Sberbank has the largest share of savings deposits in Russia, but it faces sanctions from the U.S. and the European Union over Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
CEO German Gref in 2020 has said the bank had teamed up with JPMorgan Chase & Co. (NYSE: JPM) to launch its cryptocurrency called Sbercoin.
Sberbank was said to be “actively preparing” to launch Sbercoin before the Ukraine crisis unfolded, as per a report from Reuters.
Photo by ZSsen on Wikimedia
