What will change with the introduction of the digital ruble? Answers to the main questions

The Central Bank is almost ready for the mass introduction of the digital ruble. The Ministry of Finance expects that the widespread use of this form of money will begin in 2026. What digital rubles are for and whether they should be feared is in the Izvestia article.

What is a digital ruble?

• The digital ruble is a new form of payment instrument issued by the Central Bank of Russia. It exists as a code on a special Central Bank platform. Citizens and organizations will soon be able to open digital wallets on this site to store digital rubles there. The movement of funds will be controlled by the state.

• It will be possible to pay with a digital ruble, and it can also be transferred to other people, but all this will happen inside the digital ruble platform. Access to the accounts of the digital ruble will be opened through mobile applications of banks, as well as online banking.

• The digital ruble will cost the same as the ruble in other forms — the usual cash (bills and coins) and non-cash (bank account). Transactions for citizens will be free, without fees and limits set by banks. The business will be charged a minimum commission. It is not yet known which one it will be.

They did not keep the form: the digital ruble will be introduced no earlier than 2026

Izvestia has found out the real reasons for delaying the launch of a new form of money — in which case the system can get up

Has anyone tested the use of the digital ruble?

• Work on the digital ruble started back in 2021. Starting from August 15, 2023, the Bank of Russia began testing the digital ruble in real conditions by launching a pilot project. At the initial stage, about 600 people participated in the experiment — employees of 12 banks connected to the system. In particular, they checked how the opening and closing of digital wallets worked, carried out transfers between themselves, replenished accounts and tested automatic debits.

• Since September 1, 2024, the project has moved to the next level — the number of participants has increased significantly. At the moment, about 9 thousand people and 1.2 thousand companies are participating in the experiment. A wide range of users made it possible to launch a large-scale test of the digital ruble in a more diverse range of living conditions and business scenarios.

• The mass launch of the digital ruble was supposed to begin in July 2025. However, at the end of February, the head of the Central Bank, Elvira Nabiullina, announced the postponement of the full-scale implementation due to the need to coordinate important details with banks and major business players. The official launch date will be announced later.

Why is the digital ruble being introduced?

• Mass adoption of the digital ruble can speed up payments, especially between the government and the public. However, you should not believe the messages spread on social networks that social payments will come only in this form of money. This issue has not yet been discussed by the authorities. In addition, the government has repeatedly stressed that the use of digital rubles will be voluntary.

• The massive use of this form of money can strengthen Russia's financial sovereignty in the face of sanctions, namely, reduce the need to use Visa and Mastercard payment systems. However, if an agreement is reached with other countries, the digital ruble can be used for international settlements bypassing SWIFT.

• In addition, with the help of the digital ruble, the authorities are creating a controlled and official alternative to cryptocurrencies (we discussed more about the regulation of cryptocurrencies in Russia here). They do not have a single issuer, which means that there is no organization responsible for the issued currency. The digital ruble, in turn, is a form of national currency that is issued only by the Bank of Russia.

How can I secure my digital rubles?

• We need to be vigilant right now. The Central Bank reported on a fraudulent scheme in which attackers are encouraged to invest in the digital ruble. Criminals promise potential victims a stable passive income, but there are no investment programs. It is necessary to focus only on the information about the digital ruble, which is published on the official website of the Bank of Russia.

• In general, after the introduction of the digital ruble, one should keep in mind the basic rules of digital hygiene. It is important to keep secret the data from accessing your personal account in a mobile bank and other important accounts, including those on Public Services. You should also always check the address to which you are going to send money. Otherwise, there is a risk of transferring funds to someone else's account.

• Calls from unknown numbers should not be trusted, especially if they are allegedly from law enforcement agencies and banks. It is better to call back to the official number of the organization yourself and check if they really wanted to contact you. If you are being persuaded to transfer money to a "secure account", then this is a trap.

When writing the material, Izvestia interviewed:

• Alexander Bystrov, an economist and investment expert;
• Maxim Chirkov, Associate Professor of the Department of Economic Policy and Economic Measurements at the GUU Institute of Economics and Finance.