Russia Bolsters Digital Ruble with New Law to Enable Broad Circulation by 2026

BlockBeats News, July 17th: According to TASS, the Russian State Duma has passed in the second and third readings a law to gradually promote the widespread circulation of the digital ruble and introduce a universal QR code in the Russian payment system for the payment of goods and services. Starting from September 1, 2026, enterprises with an annual income of 1.2 billion rubles or more must provide support for digital ruble payment services. It is also stipulated that the payment for goods and services must use a digital ruble QR code. Large enterprises are obligated to provide this payment option, while some small businesses may opt out.

Previously, on June 27th, the Bank of Russia announced that the Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC) digital ruble will be officially launched nationwide on September 1, 2026. The Russian CBDC will be interoperable with digital currencies issued by other BRICS countries and may be used in the field of cross-border trade to help Russian traders bypass sanctions.