Mass adoption of digital ruble expected to begin in 2026
Chairman of the State Duma Committee on Financial Market Anatoly Aksakov emphasized that the digital ruble will be an entirely voluntary means of payment
MOSCOW, June 18. /TASS/. Chairman of the State Duma Committee on Financial Market Anatoly Aksakov believes that the mass adoption of the digital ruble will begin in 2026. According to the lawmaker, the Bank of Russia’s decision to postpone the initial timeline is due to the need for additional time to prepare the infrastructure, he said in an interview with TASS ahead of the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF).
"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," Aksakov noted.
He also emphasized that the digital ruble will be an entirely voluntary means of payment. "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," he added.
Earlier, the Bank of Russia postponed the mass rollout of the digital ruble, initially scheduled to begin in the summer of 2025, to a later date. The original plan called for the wide-scale implementation to start after July 1, 2025.
About the forum
The St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF) is taking place on June 18-21. This year, the event is held under the theme "Shared Values: The Foundation of Growth in a Multipolar World." Thematic zones such as the ‘Territory of Innovations’ and the national brand space ‘Buy Russian!’ will operate at the Forum.
The program includes the SME Forum, the Creative Industries Forum, the Day of the Future International Youth Economic Forum, the Drug Security Forum, and the Roscongress Urban Hub discussion platform. As part of the cultural program, the Petersburg Seasons festival will be held, and the SPIEF Sports Games will take place.
The Roscongress Foundation is the organizer of the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum. TASS is its information partner.