Russia issues first salary in digital ruble

The Russian government has, for the first time, paid a monthly salary in the digital ruble, ahead of the public launch scheduled for 2026.

The Russian Ministry of Finance (Minfin) announced the disbursement of the first salary using the national central bank’s digital currency (CBDC).

“The first budget payment in digital rubles has been successfully completed,” the ministry stated in an official release. The operation saw the Russian Treasury pay a government official of the Russian Federation a salary in digital rubles for the first time.

The initiative to integrate the digital ruble into the national budget process is being conducted in collaboration with the Central Bank of Russia (CBR), the authority responsible for issuing the digital currency. Starting January 1, 2026, the Ministry of Finance and the CBR will enable transactions between digital ruble accounts.

The digital version of the national currency will be used for intra-budget transfers and to make various payments from the federal budget.

Russian media revealed the identity of the first salary recipient: Anatoly Aksakov, Chairman of the State Duma Committee on Financial Markets, the lower House of the Russian Parliament.

The lawmaker received the funds in his digital wallet on the CBR’s dedicated platform and subsequently participated in tests by making several payments.

The Bank of Russia began developing its CBDC in 2021, with the Russian Parliament passing the necessary legislation two years later. The CBR started pilot programs involving a limited number of participants, including commercial banks, businesses, and private citizens.

Initially planned for 2025, the launch of the Russian digital ruble was postponed to 2026. Following President Vladimir Putin’s directives for widespread adoption, the central bank set the official launch date for September 1, 2026.

Several sectors have already begun testing the digital ruble in real-world scenarios. In June, the Moscow Metro announced its first payment in digital rubles. In August, Russia recorded its first real estate transaction completed using the government CBDC.

In September, St. Petersburg’s Pulkovo Airport, the country’s second busiest, accepted digital ruble payments from a visitor who paid for parking by scanning a QR code with their smartphone.

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