Russia’s Finance Ministry says it has started paying some employees in digital rubles, marking an early practical use of the country’s central bank digital currency after its launch on September 1.
According to the ministry, several staff members received salary payments in digital rubles on October 1 through accounts opened on the Bank of Russia platform. Officials also said the option to convert wages into digital rubles is available on request.
First salary payments go through
The ministry said the first wage payments were made directly in digital rubles after banks and retail companies connected their infrastructure to the new system at the start of September. The payments were processed through the Bank of Russia’s platform, which supports the digital ruble.
The announcement places the Finance Ministry among the first state institutions to publicly confirm routine use of the CBDC in internal financial operations, at least for a limited number of employees. The ministry did not indicate that digital ruble salary payments were mandatory, instead saying the conversion takes place only at the request of the person being paid.
Broader use in state finances is being prepared
Beyond payroll, the ministry said it is already working with the Bank of Russia to integrate the digital ruble into the budget process. That effort follows amendments to Russia’s budget code intended to allow disbursements in the new form of currency.
The statement suggests the authorities are moving beyond a narrow pilot phase and trying to establish the legal and operational framework needed for state payments in digital rubles. However, the ministry’s comments described work in progress rather than a fully completed rollout across public finance.
Lawmakers point to possible ATM withdrawals next year
A separate signal came from Anatoly Aksakov, who heads the State Duma Committee on the Financial Market. He said the existing ATM network could be linked to the digital ruble platform next year, which would make it possible to withdraw cash directly from digital ruble holdings.
Aksakov described the idea as technologically feasible and not especially difficult, but his remarks were framed as a possibility rather than a confirmed launch plan. No specific deployment schedule or implementation details were provided beyond his reference to next year.
Focus turns to usability and adoption
The prospect of ATM cashouts would give users a more direct route between digital rubles and physical cash, potentially reducing friction between the digital platform and the traditional money system. That could matter for wider public uptake if the feature is eventually introduced.
The Bank of Russia has already indicated that user experience is a priority. In September, Governor Elvira Nabiullina said the central bank was making changes aimed at improving ease of use on the digital ruble platform, underscoring that adoption will depend not only on legal readiness and institutional use, but also on how simple the system is for citizens to use.
Source: news.bitcoin.com