Svmuu News: Alfa-Bank, Russia’s largest private bank, has announced plans to become a digital custodian and offer cryptocurrency-related services to its own clients and other legal entities. Dmitry Vitman, Alfa-Bank’s Chief Operating Officer, stated that the bank hopes to create investment tools based on open blockchains to attract foreign investors and develop its own products and tools capable of competing in international markets. He anticipates that, following the enactment of the government’s cryptocurrency regulatory legislation, retail brokerage services involving both Russian and foreign infrastructure may emerge in Russia between late 2026 and early 2027, though significant liquidity is not expected to materialize until at least the end of 2027. Digital custodians are regulated entities that, under Russian law, are responsible for monitoring all client cryptocurrency transactions and freezing transfers to addresses not approved by the state.