Key Highlights
- More than 220,000 digital rouble accounts were opened by the end of September, nearly four times the Bank of Russia’s initial 60,000 estimate.
- The digital rouble launched on September 1 as a central bank-issued digital form of the national currency and a direct claim on the Bank of Russia.
- Individuals can hold one digital rouble account and top it up by up to ₽300,000 per month under the initial operating rules.
Russians opened more than 220,000 digital rouble accounts in the first month after the currency’s launch on September 1, 2026, the Bank of Russia said on October 6.
According to the report from Reuters, the figure exceeded the central bank’s internal expectation of approximately 60,000 accounts. Central Bank Deputy Governor Zulfiya Kakhrumanova stated that by the end of September the number of accounts had surpassed 220,000. Russia’s second-largest bank, VTB, reported last month that more than 1,500 corporate clients were prepared to open digital rouble accounts.
The digital rouble is a central bank digital currency and constitutes a direct claim on the Bank of Russia. It differs from digital balances issued by commercial banks and from cryptocurrencies.
Official statements and public response
The central bank noted public skepticism toward the new instrument. President Vladimir Putin last month instructed financial authorities to clarify the distinction between existing electronic payment services and the digital rouble, observing that most Russians did not understand the difference.
Opinion polls cited by the authorities indicate that a majority of Russians remain opposed to receiving salaries in digital roubles. The Finance Ministry and the central bank have begun paying some workers’ salaries in the digital currency on a voluntary basis. Some commercial banks have expressed reservations.
Sberbank Chief Executive German Gref has criticized the project, stating that banks already provide digital payment services within Russia.
Policy background on digital rouble
Russia accelerated work on the digital rouble after Western sanctions restricted access to parts of the international financial system and complicated settlements with trading partners, including China and India. Officials have discussed the possible integration of national digital currencies into a BRICS payment arrangement.
Supporters of the digital rouble have identified potential applications in reducing tax evasion, ensuring that social benefits are used for designated purposes, and increasing transparency in state procurement.
Parallel digital-asset regulations
On September 1, 2026, Federal Law No. 282-FZ of August 4, 2026, “On Digital Currencies and Digital Rights,” entered into force. The legislation permits retail and qualified investors to trade eligible digital assets through regulated intermediaries while prohibiting the use of cryptocurrencies for payments for goods and services inside Russia.
The Bank of Russia published admission procedures on September 24 for cryptocurrency exchanges, digital depositories, and related operators seeking inclusion in official registers. Those procedural rules took effect on October 5, 2026.
Organizations that exchange digital currencies, hold digital assets in custody, or operate information systems for digital financial rights must be listed on the relevant Bank of Russia registers before conducting such activities on a regulated basis.
The State Duma approved the underlying legislation in July 2026. The framework establishes rules for trading, custody, and cross-border settlements of digital assets and places exchanges, repositories, and other market participants under formal supervision.
Sequence of measures
The digital-rouble account figures released on October 6 follow the September 1 launch of both the digital rouble and the new cryptocurrency regulatory regime, as well as the October 5 activation of registration procedures for digital-asset service providers.
The central bank’s report on account openings and the regulatory steps for cryptocurrency intermediaries constitute separate but concurrent components of Russia’s digital-finance framework. No additional data on transaction volumes, average account balances, or the geographic distribution of digital-rouble accounts were included in the October 6 statement.
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