Russian Central Bank Deputy Governor: Digital Ruble Payment Network Scheduled to Launch in 2026

According to Bitcoin.com, Deputy Governor of the Russian Central Bank Anna Katamadze announced that the digital ruble payment network is scheduled to be launched in 2026, when citizens can use the digital currency to pay through the central bank platform wallet. This timetable is earlier than the previous industry expectations of 2027.
The progress of the technical test shows that 15 banks, 1,700 citizens and about 30 enterprises have participated in the pilot. Although the original deployment plan was delayed in March, Nabiullina, the governor of the central bank at the time, stressed that the delay was not related to the progress of the pilot. It is worth noting that the Russian government has started to incorporate the digital ruble into the budget payment and subsidy distribution system to enhance the transparency of capital flows.