Sberbank has introduced a new digital financial asset (DFA) in the agricultural sector — a DFA linked to the cocoa index. This marks the first time such an offering has appeared on the Russian market.
It is noted that this asset provides investors with access to the international cocoa market.
Valery Tumin, a member of the Expert Council on Digital Economy Development under the State Duma Committee on Economic Policy, explains that DFAs are a tool that allows the digitization of various asset types, including precious metals. Recently, Sberbank began issuing DFAs backed by gold, giving investors the opportunity to acquire a digital equivalent of a traditional unallocated metal account.
“The advantage of DFAs lies in their transparency and security, thanks to blockchain technology. They make investments more accessible, allowing even small-cap investors to participate in the markets,” emphasizes the expert. “Additionally, digitalization reduces costs and speeds up transactions, increasing investment efficiency.”
Beyond precious metals trading, DFAs can be applied in agriculture, where they are used to finance agrarian projects, the specialist continues.
In the corporate sector, companies issue digital assets to attract investments without relying on traditional banks. In real estate, DFAs enable asset fractionalization, making property investments accessible even to small investors. In commodity markets, they can represent digital equivalents of resources such as oil or metals, simplifying trade and asset management, concludes Valery Tumin.