Russia promotes digital ruble nationwide: 87,000 new accounts added in 10 days and over 50,000 transactions completed

Elvira Nabiullina, the Governor of the Bank of Russia, stated that the digital ruble has been launched nationwide, with nearly 87,000 new accounts opened in the past 10 days and over 50,000 related transactions. She pointed out that a few banks encountered technical issues when opening accounts and executing some transactions, but the relevant banks have completed the processing, and there have been no widespread failures or numerous complaints.

The Bank of Russia is reducing the steps required for account opening and transactions while maintaining security levels. The digital ruble has completed its nationwide rollout after real user testing that began in 2023, and users can choose whether to use it. Twelve major banks in Russia and retailers with annual revenues exceeding 120 million rubles (approximately 1.42 million USD) must accept digital ruble payments, with more businesses expected to be included by 2028.