On July 17, PANews reported that Russian lawmakers voted to pass a digital ruble bill, which stipulates that the central bank digital currency will be launched in September 2026. Previously, the State Duma had approved a law for the 'gradual introduction' of the digital ruble, which will then be submitted to the upper house for approval before being presented to President Putin for signature; however, these two steps are merely formalities. The effective date of the law is set for September 1, 2026, which is a new date following the central bank's postponement of the original plan to launch in the summer of 2025.
The law sets the timeline for the implementation of the central bank digital currency: from September 1, 2026, enterprises with annual revenues of 120 million rubles or more must provide services, while medium-sized enterprises have an additional year for compliance. Small businesses and startups must comply by September 1, 2028. Foreign banks and enterprises are also subject to this. At the same time, it is stipulated that payments for goods and services must use digital ruble QR codes, and large enterprises are obligated to provide payment options. Some small businesses may opt out, and merchants without network coverage or with annual revenues below 5 million rubles are not required to accept it.
