Digital Ruble Approved by Russian Lower House Ahead of September Rollout Next Year

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The digital Ruble has been mandated and will begin its rollout by 1 September 2026. The lower house of Russia’s national legislature, the State Duma, has advocated for a gradual rollout of the CBDC, according to an article published by the state-owned publication, Tass, on 15 July 2025.

According to the publication, the bill mandates major Russian firms and banks to offer CBDC services by September next year, while exempting smaller firms. Now that the lower house has passed the bill in its third reading, it will move on to the Federation Council (Russia’s upper house) for approval.

Once the Federation Council approves the bill, it will be presented to President Vladimir Putin to be signed into law. These are mere formalities, however, since 1 September 2026 has been designated by the Central Bank as the official national rollout date for the CBDC.

Russian lawmakers pass digital ruble bill, paving way for a 2025 CBDC rollout. Mandatory for all banks, optional for citizens and businesses. #CBDC #Crypto

— Coinsensus (@CoinsensusNow) July 17, 2025

The legislation, made up of an assortment of Russian lawmakers and senators, was led by Anatoly Aksakov, the Chairman of the State Duma Committee on Financial Markets. Aksakov has been instrumental in drafting the CBDC bill and is the principal architect behind Russia’s crypto and CBDC policy frameworks.

Per the timeline set by the bill for the adoption of the digital Ruble, large firms earning over 120 million Rubles ($1.5 million) must offer the CBDC by 1 September 2026. Medium-sized companies have until September 2027, while smaller firms and startups have until September 2028.

The law also applies to foreign bank branches in Russia.

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Digital Ruble QR Codes Mandated for Payments

The bill has mandated the use of digital Ruble QR codes for the payment of goods and services. Individuals will have the ability to pay CBDC tokens, i.e. units of digital Ruble, to companies or individual traders by scanning app-based QR codes

Additionally, vendors must also allow customers to pay in digital Rubles if requested.

Furthermore, the bill also addresses concerns about launching the CBDC in regions within Russia with limited internet or mobile coverage. With many rural areas in Russia still facing connectivity issues, the legislation has given vendors without proper access to the internet or mobile networks an option to opt out from accepting digital Ruble payments.

Additionally, businesses that earn less than 5 million Rubles ($63,900 approx.) annually will have the option to not support digital Ruble transactions.

With the implementation of a universal QR code payment system, the digital Ruble aims to offer a safer and more user-friendly means to make payments to simplify transactions nationwide.

The CBDC rollout within Russia reflects a broader push to move away from cash-based transactions and to expand financial inclusivity.

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Sberbank Questions Need for CBDCs

While state authorities have been pushing for a digital Ruble, commercial banks have questioned the need for a Russian CBDC. Sberbank head German Graf expressed his uncertainty regarding the digital Ruble’s potential to drive major economic transformation in the country.

Graf commented on this matter to a local publication, stating, “I don’t understand why an individual needs the option to use a CBDC. And neither do banks. And businesses, too. I still don’t really understand why this is necessary.”

He did, however, mention that CBDCs could play a role in cross-border settlements in case overseas partners wanted to use the CBDC as well.

Nonetheless, the pilot phase, introduced in 2023, is still ongoing, with the Russian Central Bank claiming that the adoption of the digital Ruble will allow for faster, transparent, and secure transactions.

Additionally, the Ministry of Finance has advocated using the digital Ruble for government contracts and issuing benefits, claiming that it will help eliminate fraud and corruption.

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Key Takeaways

• The Russian State Duma has passed legislation mandating a phased rollout of the digital Ruble starting September next year
• Large enterprises will accept the CBDC at the outset, while medium and smaller enterprises will begin in September 2027 and 2028, respectively
• The bill mandates scanable QR codes as a standard for making payments

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