The Russian Ministry of Finance issued employee salaries for the first time in digital rubles

The Russian Ministry of Finance stated on Friday that some employees have received their salaries for the first time in digital rubles. The issuance of salaries in central bank digital currency is voluntary for Russian citizens and has been implemented since October 1 (Thursday). The ministry did not disclose the number of participants or the total amount of salaries issued, nor did it specify the specific departments involved.

According to the ministry's press release, approximately 16 million digital rubles (about 192,200 USD) were allocated in the pilot federal budget expenditure for 2025, and the Ministry of Finance has thus applied the verified channels to its own salary issuance process. The work of incorporating digital rubles into the budget process is being jointly promoted by the Central Bank of Russia and the Ministry of Finance.

The development of digital rubles began in 2021. Cointelegraph reported on July 2 that Russia plans to launch this central bank digital currency on September 1, with major banks and retail businesses starting to support related transactions at that time. This currency is being introduced as a supplement to the fiat ruble, initially processed by financial and credit institutions. EU authorities announced restrictions on this currency in April.