Russia’s Finance Ministry has used the country’s central bank digital currency to pay some employees for the first time, marking a new step in efforts to connect the digital ruble with government operations.
The ministry said on Friday that selected staff received their wages in digital rubles. The option became available to Russian citizens voluntarily on Oct. 1, according to a ministry press release. Officials did not say how many employees took part or reveal the total value of the payroll processed through the system.
The move extends the use of the digital ruble beyond earlier trials involving federal budget payments. According to Cointelegraph, the Ministry of Finance said approximately 16 million digital rubles, equivalent to $192,245, had been distributed during federal budget spending trials in 2025. The ministry said the experience from those trials provided the payment infrastructure used for its salary procedure.
Digital ruble enters a new stage
The digital ruble is Russia’s central bank digital currency, issued by the Bank of Russia and intended to operate alongside the country’s existing fiat currency, the ruble. Unlike a cryptocurrency such as Bitcoin, a central bank digital currency is issued and administered within a country’s official monetary system.
Work to bring the digital ruble into the budget process is being conducted jointly by the Bank of Russia and the Finance Ministry. Paying some ministry employees is therefore both a practical payroll test and part of a broader effort to apply the currency to public-sector financial flows.
Participation in receiving wages through the digital currency remains voluntary for Russian citizens. The ministry’s announcement did not indicate that digital-ruble payments had replaced conventional wage payments or that all employees were included.
Rollout and international restrictions
Russia began developing the digital ruble in 2021. Cointelegraph reported on July 2 that the currency was planned for launch on Sept. 1, when major banks and retail companies were expected to begin enabling transactions. Russian state media outlet RIA Novosti was cited at the time as reporting that the digital ruble would initially be accepted by financial and credit institutions.
The currency has also faced international restrictions. European Union authorities announced preemptive sanctions targeting the digital ruble in April. The European Council said the measures were linked to Russia’s “war of aggression against Ukraine,” which began in February 2022.
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