The introduction of the digital ruble is apparently postponed until mid-2026. This information was voiced by representatives of the Central Bank of Russia during a discussion of the project with the largest banks.
Earlier, the head of the Central Bank Elvira Nabiullina promised the introduction of a digital ruble in the summer of 2025, offering citizens «safety» and «security», as well as the ability to conduct transactions without access to the Internet. In September 2024, a pilot project was launched, within the framework of which 15 banks, 30 companies and more than 20 thousand retail outlets tested the new type of money.
At the end of February, the head of the Central Bank announced that the regulator had decided to postpone the mass launch of work with digital currency from July 1, 2025 to a later date.
The postponement of the launch of the digital ruble is due to the fact that many banks encountered difficulties related to software when implementing it. According to one of the bank representatives, not all financial institutions have successfully attempted to migrate from the software of the American Oracle. The latter announced the termination of operations in Russia in 2022 due to Western technological sanctions. As a result, questions arose about the work of banks with databases in automated banking systems (ABS).
The Central Bank’s press service did not confirm the postponement of the launch to 2026, but did not deny it either.
The date has not yet been determined. We will announce it later, after discussing with banks the most attractive economic model for their clients.
