The Central Bank of Russia has proposed the payment of salaries in digital rubles., 2026/02/20 18:34:08

The Central Bank of Russia has introduced a draft document outlining the procedure for organizations to pay employee salaries using digital rubles.

The Bank of Russia indicated that businesses and institutions will be able to utilize digital rubles for payments via registries, allowing for the simultaneous transfer of funds to a large number of recipients. This same mechanism is intended for transactions with suppliers, payment for goods and services, and tax payments for employees. Such payments expedite the fund transfer process and reduce the risk of errors in details, as there is no need to enter information for each recipient individually. 

Additionally, the rules governing the digital ruble platform will be enhanced with a new section regarding cross-border transactions involving foreign central bank digital currencies (CBDCs). The Central Bank of Russia has not yet disclosed further details.

Basic operations for transferring digital rubles are currently available only to participants in the pilot project. Officials plan to expand the use of the digital ruble in September. The largest Russian banks and trading companies will be required to provide their infrastructure for the Russian CBDC. The Central Bank continues to emphasize that individuals will have the option to use digital rubles at their discretion.

Previously, Alla Bakina, head of the Central Bank’s national payment system department, stated that the digital ruble would free Russians from dependence on banking restrictions and fee policies.