At the Ural Forum "Cybersecurity in Finance," VTB Senior Vice President Sergey Bezbogov outlined the main challenges facing market participants on the threshold of the open banking era. According to him, to successfully implement the concept of open APIs, it is necessary to address a number of issues related to security, regulation, and user awareness.
On February 18, 2025, Michael Barr, the Federal Reserve's Vice Chair for Supervision, expressed concerns about the potential risks associated with the rapid development of generative artificial intelligence (AI). He noted that the high speed of AI decision-making could lead to "herd behavior" and risk concentration, which, in turn, could amplify volatility in financial markets.
In recent years, the People's Republic of China has conducted a large-scale campaign to strengthen regulation and control over its technology giants, such as Alibaba and Tencent. These measures included antitrust investigations, the introduction of new rules for digital platforms, and restrictions on the use of recommendation algorithms. However, according to Bloomberg, by February 2025, there is a change in the approach of the Chinese authorities: investors are beginning to believe that the period of harsh repression against the technology sector is coming to an end.
Small and medium-sized businesses operating in the delivery and field service sector have received new financial opportunities thanks to a special offer from Bank DOM.RF.
Modulbank has launched a new service aimed at comprehensive work with product listings in collaboration with a professional marketplace expert. Now, entrepreneurs can count on comprehensive support in developing a promotion strategy, improving the quality of product listings, and increasing sales through internal advertising tools.
DOM.RF Bank has expanded the terms of the preferential IT mortgage program to include the possibility of purchasing townhouses. Now, IT professionals working in companies accredited by the Ministry of Digital Development of Russia can apply for a loan not only for the purchase of apartments under construction and individual housing construction (IHS), but also for the purchase of townhouses, provided that the escrow account mechanism is used.
Sber has completed the transition to the Russian privileged access management system BI.ZONE PAM, abandoning foreign counterparts. This decision meets the requirements of regulators regarding the import substitution of critical technologies.
In 2024, Sber provided significant support to Moscow entrepreneurs, providing funding of over 270 billion rubles for small and micro businesses. These funds enabled the implementation of a wide range of business projects, including the launch of new enterprises, the modernization of existing production facilities, and the expansion of companies' activities.
Bank DOM.RF, in collaboration with Moscow IR Accelerator (MIRA), has introduced an investment accelerator program for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), focused on attracting strategic investors, investment funds, and preparing for entry into the stock market. The introductory meeting was attended by more than 100 SME companies, as well as representatives from the Moscow Stock Exchange, investment funds, and management companies.
VTB Bank is expanding opportunities for SME clients by offering holders of premium Mir business cards free and unlimited access to airport and railway station business lounges. The new Mir Pass service will allow cardholders to wait for flights and trains in more than 700 business lounges in Russia and abroad.
Former Chairman of the Board of Modulbank Pavel Semenov has headed the Russian neobank “Hice”. To do this, he moved from the position of Chairman of the Board of Modulbank to the position of Advisor, in which he will continue to participate in the strategy and business development. Renat Badakhov, who has been working in the banking sector for more than 20 years, has become the new Chairman of the Board of Modulbank.
VTB Bank has completed a large-scale project to replace the system for collecting, storing, and visualizing metadata with a domestic solution. The new solution, based on Open Metadata (OMD), allows bank employees to quickly find the necessary information, analyze the impact of changes, and improve data quality.
Bank Russian Standard studied the seasonal spending habits of Russians in 2024. The highest average purchase amounts in supermarkets were recorded at the beginning of the year.
Bank DOM.RF summarized the results of its work with small and medium-sized business (SME) clients for 2024, demonstrating an increase in their number by 30%. The main growth factor was transactional products, which are actively used by entrepreneurs in key industries - construction, trade, and services.
Somers (Softline Group) has developed payment software for Modulbank devices that allows entrepreneurs to accept payments not only by bank cards and QR codes, but also by electronic state support certificates.