Sberbank Joins Russia’s Expanding Digital Ruble Pilot Program

Russia’s largest bank, Sberbank, has officially joined the digital ruble pilot program alongside TBank and Tochka Bank, as confirmed by the Central Bank of Russia (CBR) and reported by Interfax on December 28.

This initiative originally launched with 12 participating banks, with plans to expand significantly in the coming years. In October, Olga Skorobogatova, the former First Deputy Governor of the CBR, revealed that up to 15 additional banks might join the program by 2025.

With the addition of Sberbank and the two others, the pilot now includes 15 financial institutions, such as prominent players like VTB, Alfa-Bank, Gazprombank, and the Russian Agricultural Bank. A total of 22 banks have already signed agreements to prepare their systems for the program’s future phases.

The digital ruble, envisioned as a third form of Russia’s national currency alongside cash and non-cash money, entered its pilot phase in August 2023. Testing has since expanded from 600 to 9,000 participants as of October 2024. By July 2025, major banks in Russia will be mandated to offer digital ruble services to customers, including account management, transfers, and payment acceptance.

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The central bank has emphasized the importance of making the digital ruble widely available, ensuring it can be used seamlessly alongside traditional payment methods. Banks unable to meet the required standards by the deadline may face penalties. Smaller financial institutions will adopt the system gradually in subsequent years, further broadening the digital currency’s accessibility.

Alexander Zdravkov