Russia’s largest bank, Sberbank, has joined Bank of Russia’s register of crypto trading service providers and plans to open crypto trading to all customers on December 1. The bank has tested BTC, ETH and USDT trading in its app while also advancing its digital custody and crypto wallet businesses. Crypto payments remain prohibited in Russia, and from July 2027, related transactions must be conducted through registered intermediaries.
推荐理由：The registration brings Sberbank’s trading and digital custody businesses into Russia’s regulated market, while also showing the regulatory boundary between opening access to customers and maintaining a ban on payments.
Bank of Russia has approved 9 institutions to enter the regulated crypto market, with 4 authorized to operate as digital currency trading platforms and 5 authorized to provide digital custody services, making them the first participants in the two official registries. Sberbank and VTB received digital custody licenses, while VTB was also authorized to conduct cryptocurrency trading. All crypto transactions, including transfers to overseas wallets, must be completed through Russian licensed intermediaries, and the relevant institutions must fully comply with the regulatory framework no later than 2027年9月1日.
推荐理由：The article outlines the composition of Russia’s first digital currency trading and custody institutions, the compliance deadline, and requirements for transfers to overseas wallets, making it easier to understand how the new regulatory framework will be implemented.
Rain has applied for an OCC national trust bank charter and plans to use its New York subsidiary to custody digital assets and USD for institutional clients, manage stablecoin reserves, and provide issuance and redemption services for USD stablecoins. The proposed bank will not accept deposits, issue commercial loans, or offer consumer accounts, and will not have FDIC insurance. Client assets will be segregated from the bank’s own assets. The application still requires OCC approval and a public comment process, and has faced opposition from traditional banking groups.
推荐理由：The materials set out the proposed bank’s business boundaries, client asset segregation arrangements, and the regulatory approval and industry litigation background, making it easier to assess the constraints on the chartering path.
Rain已向OCC申请设立Rain National Trust Bank（RNTB），拟将合作方项目的资产托管、储备管理及稳定币发行和赎回纳入联邦监管框架。若获批，RNTB将作为独立子公司，在OCC监督和检查下提供受托资产托管及稳定币发行和赎回，Rain仍是支付平台。ICBA已就数字资产公司申请全国性银行牌照时可能面临较少审查起诉OCC。