Sberbank Bets Big on Bitcoin with First-Ever Structured Bonds

Russia’s banking giant just made its crypto move—and it’s a power play. Sberbank, the state-owned financial behemoth, is rolling out Bitcoin-linked structured bonds, effectively giving institutional investors a backdoor to crypto exposure. Who needs ETFs when you’ve got state-sanctioned derivatives?

The offering marks a watershed moment for institutional crypto adoption—even if it comes wrapped in the irony of a traditional bank profiting from the very asset class that threatened to disrupt it. The bonds will track Bitcoin’s price movements while letting risk-averse investors keep one foot in the regulated world. Classic hedge behavior.

Expect more banks to follow suit now that Sberbank’s broken the ice. After all, nothing accelerates financial innovation like watching your competitors eat your lunch—or in this case, your Bitcoin.