Russia to Mandate Digital Ruble Use Starting Sept. 1, 2026

Russia’s central bank governor Elvira Nabiullina announced that the country’s digital ruble – a central‑bank digital currency (CBDC) – will be rolled out on a mandatory basis from 1 September 2026. The first phase requires all 12 systemically important banks to process digital‑ruble transactions, and retailers with annual revenue above 1.2 billion rubles must accept digital‑ruble payments. A phased schedule follows: secondary banks must comply by 1 September 2027, and all remaining financial institutions and smaller retailers by 1 September 2028.

The Central Bank says the technical infrastructure is fully ready, positioning the digital ruble as a third legal tender alongside cash and deposits. Public acceptance, however, remains low – a government poll shows only 10 % of economically active citizens would take their entire salary in the digital ruble, and another 5 % would accept a partial amount.

Russia’s compulsory rollout makes it the first major economy to move a CBDC from voluntary pilot to enforced nationwide use. The move coincides with EU sanctions that place the digital ruble on a blacklist, and it is being watched as a reference point for other nations such as Iran, which face legal and public‑opinion challenges in pursuing similar digital‑currency strategies.