Sberbank has extended Russia’s first crypto-backed loan to Intelion Data, one of the country’s largest Bitcoin miners. The pilot deal uses Bitcoin mined by Intelion as collateral, positioning digital assets as working capital rather than passive holdings on a balance sheet. Sberbank reportedly used its in-house digital custody product, Rutoken, to safeguard the Bitcoin collateral through the loan period. According to the bank, the pilot transaction demonstrates how crypto-backed lending could operate within regulated frameworks without compromising asset security. “Digital currency market regulation is only emerging ... (full story)