Speaking at the Russian Central Bank’s Financial Conference, Governor Elvira Nabiullina confirmed that the system is ready to enter the mass-adoption phase.
Under the roadmap approved by parliament in July 2025, 12 systemically important banks will be required to provide full digital-ruble services from September 1, 2026, including wallet opening, money transfers and payments for goods and services.
At the same time, retail businesses with annual revenue exceeding RUB 120 million will also be required to accept the new payment method. The rollout will then expand in stages across the entire banking system and business sector before September 2028.
The latest move marks an important milestone nearly three years after President Vladimir Putin signed legislation recognising the digital ruble as a form of legal tender. The Bank of Russia also aims to develop the digital ruble into a digital financial infrastructure for businesses.
Nabiullina revealed that the regulator is studying the implementation of smart contracts to automate corporate transactions, while also testing a model in which digital-ruble wallets are opened directly on commercial banks’ balance sheets.
In practice, the digital-ruble ecosystem has expanded significantly during the pilot phase. In February 2026, the Bank of Russia introduced bulk-payment functionality, allowing businesses to pay salaries, settle with suppliers, pay taxes and make large-scale payments within a single transaction. The regulator has also developed a legal framework for cross-border CBDC payments.
Despite the rollout progressing according to schedule, the digital ruble has not yet received broad public support in Russia.
According to a survey cited by The Moscow Times, many citizens say they do not understand why another form of money is needed alongside cash and traditional bank deposits. To encourage ecosystem growth, the Bank of Russia plans to pay banks a commission of around RUB 0.67, or less than $0.01, for each digital-ruble transaction processed.
Russia’s accelerated CBDC rollout comes as many major economies remain divided over central bank-issued digital currencies.
In the United States, CBDCs remain controversial, as many lawmakers and members of the crypto community are concerned that a digital dollar could expand the government’s ability to monitor citizens’ financial transactions. The US Senate had previously advanced bills aimed at banning or temporarily suspending CBDC issuance. However, a proposal to prohibit the launch of a digital dollar until 2030 was ultimately not signed into law by President Donald Trump following last-minute changes.
