Update
Sberbank to Launch Bitcoin Products in December
Sberbank, Russia’s largest bank, has been authorized by the Central Bank to exchange digital currencies. The bank will debut its bitcoin-related products in December, joining eight other organizations on the exchange register. This includes state-controlled VTB and T-Invest Lab, part of T-Technologies, which also owns online lender T-Bank. The announcement comes as Russia moves forward with Bitcoin-related regulation, with Sberbank being the first in the country to have been approved to custody bitcoin. The Bank of Russia gave it the green light for 'digital currency record-keeping' and to facilitate the transfer of such assets, covering bitcoin and other smaller cryptocurrencies.