Finance · updated 1h ago · 2 min read
Russia’s Finance Ministry Begins Paying Employees in Digital Rubles for First Time
Finance Ministry employees received digital ruble payments for the first time on Oct 1, 2026. A pilot disbursed 16 million digital rubles ahead of the payroll rollout.
10 outlets told this the same way.
5 of 6 outlets skipped it: central Bank tariffs were zero through end of 2026, then 67 kopecks from 2027.
10outlets compared
First payroll in CBDC
Russia’s Finance Ministry began paying some employees in digital rubles for the first time on Thursday, October 1, according to a Ministry of Finance press release. The ministry said it had earlier conducted a budget-spending pilot involving about 16 million digital rubles ahead of the payroll rollout. The ministry did not disclose how many employees received the first salary payments in digital rubles or the total amount paid.
The ministry described the move as the first time the Russian government had applied the digital ruble to its internal payroll system. The Bank of Russia and the Ministry of Finance jointly pushed to introduce the digital ruble into the government’s budget system.
Voluntary opt-in, no totals
Russia’s Finance Ministry said receiving salary in the central bank’s digital currency is available to citizens of Russia on a voluntary basis. The ministry did not disclose how many participants were paid in digital currency or the total payroll amount. The ministry said participating employees opened digital ruble accounts on the Bank of Russia’s platform before receiving their wages.
The ministry also said employees can continue receiving wages through existing payment methods, while people who choose the digital version must open an account themselves. The rollout is set to expand in stages through 2028, broadening digital ruble use for transfers and payments.
From trials to broader use
Russia’s Finance Ministry linked the payroll rollout to earlier federal budget spending trials in 2025, when about 16 million digital rubles were disbursed.
The Bank of Russia said its 2025 pilot covered core transfers between individuals and businesses, budget payments and several types of smart contracts.
The Bank of Russia announced that major banks and large retailers would open their systems for digital ruble transactions from Sept. 1.
The Bank of Russia described digital ruble as a third form of Russia’s national currency alongside cash and non-cash money.
Anatoly Aksakov, head of the Financial Market Committee in the State Duma, said the current ATM network could be linked to the digital ruble platform next year, adding, “Technically, yes, this is possible and feasible.”