Russia’s central bank digital currency (CBDC), the digital ruble, is advancing toward becoming a key component of the nation’s financial system. Chairman of the State Duma Committee on Financial Market Anatoly Aksakov disclosed in an interview with Tass on June 18, ahead of the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum, that mass adoption of the digital currency is now slated for 2026. The Bank of Russia extended its original schedule, which had targeted a launch after July 1, 2025, to allow more time to optimize the infrastructure and operational mechanisms.

Explaining the rationale behind the revised timeline, Aksakov stated:

I believe the process will commence next year. The delay is partly attributable to the additional time needed for our financial institutions to prepare the relevant infrastructure and, apparently, to fine-tune the mechanisms within the digital ruble platform itself.

The Russian official emphasized that participation in the digital ruble system will remain completely optional: “I would like to stress that the digital ruble is strictly a voluntary means of transaction. Neither businesses nor citizens will be forced to switch to it, and there are no plans to abolish cash or non-cash forms of payment.”

The digital ruble pilot began on Aug. 15, 2023, with 13 major banks, about 600 individuals, and 22 companies in 11 Russian cities. By September 2024, participation expanded to 9,000 individuals and 1,200 companies. While 12 banks consistently took part, 19 others, including major institutions like Sberbank, were onboarding by early 2025. The pilot tests functions such as peer-to-peer transfers, business payments, QR-code transactions, and smart contracts, including experimental conditional spending in regions like Tatarstan. By April 2025, the pilot included 15 banks, about 2,000 individuals, and 50 companies, with 70 more expected to join. It had processed over 55,000 person-to-person transfers, 15,000 payments for goods and services, and 12,000 smart contracts. A full rollout previously scheduled for July 2025 was postponed to an unspecified date to ensure stability and incorporate feedback.

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