Catenaa, Tuesday, April 01, 2025- Russian energy giant Gazprom launched blockchain-powered “digital financial assets” (DFAs) on Monday, marking a major step in the country’s growing tokenized finance sector.
Gazprombank, the company’s banking arm, issued 2 billion rubles ($23.5 million) worth of DFAs via the Moscow Exchange. Each tokenized asset is valued at 1,000 rubles ($11.77) and carries a 21% annual yield, maturing on May 13, 2025, at 1,024.74 rubles ($12.06). Unlike many Russian DFAs restricted to corporate buyers, Gazprom’s offering is available to retail investors.
This move follows a similar issuance by telecom giant Rostelecom, which launched DFAs earlier this month. Russia’s DFA market is expanding rapidly, with Sberbank reporting an $8 billion cumulative trading volume as of February.
The expansion of tokenized assets aligns with Russia’s broader blockchain adoption efforts. Last year, Gazprom established a crypto mining subsidiary, planning a $500 million, 5,000-rig mining facility in Veliky Novgorod, expected to reach full capacity by 2028.
Russia’s regulatory environment has facilitated DFA growth, with the central bank licensing multiple issuers. Atomyze, a metals-backed DFA platform, pioneered the industry, paving the way for institutional adoption.
