Published on: 2026-08-21
Source: Central Bank of Russia – Центральный банк России –
An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.
The Bank of Russia, after six years of work, is launching the digital ruble: from September 1 it will become available to every Russian citizen. What color the digital ruble is, how to open a digital wallet and receive a salary in digital rubles, where to pay with them and whether such transactions are secure, when payments in digital rubles will become available without the internet, and whether it is possible to open a digital deposit and take out a loan — these topics were discussed in an interview with RIA Novosti by Alla Bakina, Director of the Department of the National Payment System of the Central Bank.
– How can one explain in simple words what the digital ruble is?
– The digital ruble is the same ruble that we use in everyday life, just in a new form. There is cash: banknotes or coins in the wallet, and non-cash money – funds in bank accounts. The digital ruble is essentially the same as non-cash money, only it will be held in the user’s wallet on the Bank of Russia’s platform. People have different habits. Some are used to using a card, some an electronic wallet, and some a pay-service, and so on. The digital ruble is another, additional means for transfers and payments.
– Then how is it fundamentally different from the already familiar cashless money?
– The first difference is that your digital ruble account is opened on the Bank of Russia’s platform, and transactions are also carried out there. Access to this digital account (also called a digital wallet) is through familiar mobile banking applications. Another difference is the tariff policy. There will be no fees for citizens; all transactions are free. They will also be free to manage their money in the digital wallet: there are no limits or restrictions on transfers on the digital ruble platform. For businesses, minimal fees are established compared to the tariffs currently applied by banks for similar transactions. And finally, the digital ruble technology itself creates conditions for the development of smart contracts: when the participants in the deal determine its terms, and payments are made automatically after their fulfillment. For example, as soon as the wholesale buyer confirms the receipt of goods at the warehouse, the supplier instantly receives their payment for the goods. Since both the buyer and the seller have wallets on a single platform, they can set various combinations of the terms of their transactions and make settlements without intermediaries.
– Is everything ready for the launch of the digital ruble on September 1?
– Yes, ready. All 12 systemically important banks, which account for over 80% of the payments market, are ready from September 1 to give their clients the ability to open digital ruble accounts and conduct transactions with them. The law also requires banks recognized as significant in the payment services market to provide access to digital rubles. Currently, nine more credit institutions have this status, and most of them have already been in the pilot phase for a long time and will be ready by autumn. However, some were recognized as significant in the payments market only in February of this year. They may need more time to configure their systems. We approach this situation with understanding. It concerns three banks. We will provide them with the necessary assistance so they complete the connection by the end of the year.
By the way, quite a few banks whose obligation to open their infrastructure to clients by law comes much later still want to do this now. They are actively participating in the pilot and configuring their systems. In total, more than 130 banks are in the process of connecting to the digital ruble platform. Among them are also small banks, but they understand that they can gain a competitive advantage for customers by being among the first to adopt innovations. And we plan to allow those who have already well established their processes to offer some ready-made scenarios for working with digital rubles to their clients.
– The obligation to connect the infrastructure falls on banks and trading companies. And for people, will the use of the digital ruble be voluntary?
– Yes, absolutely, the choice is up to the individual. And this is our fundamental position: your money is your choice. Whether to use the digital ruble or not, everyone decides for themselves. No one can open a digital account on behalf of a person. Nothing will happen automatically.
– How can a person open a digital wallet?
– This can be done through the mobile app of any bank of which you are a client. But you need to make sure that it is connected to the Bank of Russia’s digital ruble platform. You can clarify this with your bank. The bank is just a conduit; the wallet itself will be opened on our platform. You open the wallet once, through the bank you choose, and you will be able to access the platform and perform operations in digital rubles from the apps of different banks. The only condition is that you must be a client of those banks.
– What will the digital wallet look like in the bank’s app?
– Like any other product or payment service among those offered to you by your bank. It will be recognizable by a bright logo featuring the digital ruble. It is a vivid red shade; among ourselves, we call this color “dopamine.” Starting September 1, a window with this logo will appear on the main page of the apps of the largest banks. Everything else – topping up a digital account, making a transfer to another person, paying for a purchase in a large store – will remain familiar to the user.
It was important for us to make the customer journey convenient, so that a person wouldn’t need to install anything new or learn how to use it.
– How many digital ruble wallets can Russians have in one bank?
– One person – one wallet. And not in some specific bank, but on the Central Bank’s platform. I repeat: a person or company will have only one digital account on the platform, but they can view and manage the digital rubles in it through applications of different banks. For example, you use the applications of three different banks because you have cards from these banks. If for some reason the first bank’s application is unavailable, you can use your digital account in the application of the second or third bank. And it is still the same digital ruble account in the Central Bank; it’s just that “doors” to it are provided by different banking applications. But the keys to these “doors” are only with you.
– How will the account be topped up?
– Everything will happen exactly the same way as when you currently transfer money between your accounts. In your bank’s app, you select the tab with the digital ruble, enter it, and choose the “top up” option, then select your account in the same bank from which you want to withdraw the required amount. At the moment you confirm the operation, the cash rubles “turn into” digital ones, the amount is debited from the bank account, and the exact same amount is credited to the digital wallet.
– What if I have cash?
– First, you deposit them into your bank account via an ATM or teller, and then you transfer them from there to a digital wallet using the mobile app.
– So how do you withdraw money from it?
– In reverse order. You need to go into the bank’s app and transfer the digital money to your bank account, and then withdraw cash from an ATM. For a person, all these operations happen instantly, online. They won’t see what is happening “under the hood,” as bankers say — the entire complex technological process of interaction between the platform and the bank’s system.
– Will there be any restrictions on transfers?
– The only limit is 300,000 rubles per month for transfers from your non-cash bank accounts to the digital account. As practice and our statistics show, this amount is quite sufficient for a person on average. There are no other restrictions.
– Will it be possible to open deposits and savings accounts in digital rubles? And can you open a digital ruble account at your own bank?
– Deposits in digital rubles on the Bank of Russia platform will not be opened, nor will loans be issued. This is the banks’ business, and such operations, as now, are carried out by banks. As for opening accounts in digital rubles not at the Bank of Russia, we have a request from banks, and we are currently working out a model with them, according to which digital wallets could be opened on their balance sheet. This will subsequently allow them to issue loans and open deposits for their clients in digital rubles. We want to conduct an experiment in the future and assess the viability of such a model.
– When could this happen?
– This requires a separate regulatory framework, and system improvements both on the side of market participants and on our side. We plan to finalize the parameters of the experiment and launch it by 2029. Two models – the current one and the one in the experimental circuit – will coexist in parallel. As a result, we will see which of them is more in demand and efficient. It’s quite possible that one model will suit individuals, while another will be better for businesses and state companies. But the fact that such an experiment is planned does not exempt banks from the obligation to open digital ruble accounts for everyone interested starting from September this year.
– For example, I want to be among the first to try digital rubles and receive my salary in digital rubles. How can I do this, and how will it be arranged?
– First, you need to open a digital ruble account. It’s important that your employer also has one opened. Then you submit an application specifying the account to which your salary should be transferred. The money will be paid out just like it is now – via a registry. For example, if a company has 10 employees, three want to receive their salary in digital rubles, and seven on a bank card. That’s how it will be: the employer will send one registry with three lines to the Bank of Russia’s platform, and another one with seven lines to the commercial bank.
– Where will it be possible to spend digital rubles? And how can you tell that they can be used for payment here?
– There are organizations that by law must start accepting digital rubles as early as this autumn. These are large retail companies with annual revenues starting from 120 million rubles. This may include chain supermarkets, service stations, beauty salons, stores, pharmacies. However, it is obvious that initially none of them disclose information about their turnover. For the time being, you can check, for example, at the cash register whether digital ruble payments are accepted at that location. Moreover, we believe that businesses themselves will be interested in informing customers about this option, as it will significantly reduce their costs. Companies will be able to use a special sticker we have developed and place it in a prominent place. The layout can be download from our website.
– Will it be possible to pay with digital rubles on marketplaces?
– From a technical point of view, such an option exists – payment in online stores is implemented. However, in practice, much depends on the business model of the marketplace itself: whether it acts only as a platform where the seller and buyer interact, or as an independent seller, and whether it becomes legally obligated to accept digital rubles starting in September. We advise monitoring when a button with the digital ruble logo appears on marketplaces.
– Will it be possible to pay with digital rubles without the internet?
– We have set ourselves the task of implementing such a possibility because we understand how important it is for both citizens and businesses that payments can be made even without the internet. But this will be in the later stages of the digital ruble’s development, at a later time. Currently, we are conducting market research and studying the technological potential of our companies. We are also looking at the experience of foreign countries, analyzing which technologies they use to provide remote services without a network. We expect to complete the research by autumn of this year. By that time, we will select the solutions that are best suited for the digital ruble. Then we will be able to proceed to their testing. And only after making sure that everything runs smoothly and safely will it be possible to talk about launching such a service.
– How can you regain access to digital rubles if you lose your phone?
“– No supernatural actions are required – it’s the same as with your money in banks. Of course, if such a situation occurs, first and foremost you need to try to protect your data and block access to banking applications installed on your phone. To do this, you should contact the banks; they will be able to terminate the session of the specific device. At the same time, you will still be able to manage your digital rubles through other mobile devices – a new phone or tablet with the banking application installed.”
– Many people are concerned about problems with fraudsters. How protected is the money in digital wallets?
– The money is held in the Bank of Russia, and it is protected according to the highest standards required for infrastructure facilities. Additionally, access to your digital wallet will have an extra password, beyond the passwords on the phone itself and in the banking app. But it is important for people themselves to be vigilant and follow cyber hygiene rules: not to give their unlocked phone to other people, not to share passwords and access codes, and so on.
– Will it be possible to make payments with digital rubles in other countries?
– Such an option is provided. But for international payments, two conditions are necessary. First, there must be technical capability abroad: this could be a central bank digital currency platform or another platform with similar functionality. Second, there must be a willingness on that side. We cannot do this alone. We are discussing possible solutions with a number of foreign partners. However, given the sensitivity of this topic, we do not disclose details.
– How do you envision the profile of a person who uses the digital ruble?
– The portrait can be discussed later, when people start actively using it. Currently, the average person most often uses a bank card – card transactions hold the largest share in the structure of cashless payments. But we see that its growth rate is slowing down because other payment methods are developing: payment services, QR codes, biometrics, and so on. For example, mobile and online banking accounted for 15% of the total number of payments in the first quarter, although six months to a year ago it was 5-7%, so the growth rate is rapid. I believe that over a horizon of five to seven years, this proportion will be redistributed, and the digital ruble will take its share. At the same time, we do not aim to make the digital ruble a leader. It is important that it finds its consumer.
If we were to imagine the portrait of a confident user, then it seems to us that an advocate for the digital ruble would be someone who is open to all innovations and keeps pace with technological progress. This is a person who doesn’t need to be convinced of the benefits of a new product or service; they themselves are eager to be among the first to try it out in practice to understand all its pros and cons. They are one step ahead of everyone else, which means they already have an advantage.
Darya Mitinkina and Zulfiya Khamitova, RIA Novosti
Please note; This information is raw content obtained directly from the information source. It is an accurate report of what the source claims and does not necessarily reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.