Russia’s Digital Ruble: Delayed Again! Is It Ever Going to Launch? 🤔💸

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So, Russia’s decided to hit the snooze button on its digital ruble. You know, just to make sure everything is *perfect* before they unleash it on the world. Because who doesn’t love a good delay? 🙄

The Bank of Russia is taking its sweet time, making sure the pilot program doesn’t crash and burn while they chat with banks about an economic model that actually makes sense. TASS, the state-backed news agency, is on it, reporting all the juicy details. 🍵

They’ll let us know when the new launch date is, but only after they’ve ensured that everyone—banks and clients alike—are on the same page. Because nothing says “trust us” like a little more waiting! ⏳

“We will move to the mass implementation of the digital ruble a little later than originally planned, namely after we work through all the details in the pilot and hold all consultations with banks on the economic model that is most attractive for their clients. We will be able to announce the new mass launch date later.”

— Elvira Nabiullina, Governor of the Bank of Russia

The digital ruble pilot kicked off in August 2023, letting a select few banks and users play around with payments. They were aiming for a grand launch by July 1, but surprise! The timeline is now as clear as mud. The first phase involves about 600 brave souls from 12 banks, testing everything from opening digital wallets to person-to-person transfers. Sounds like a party! 🎉

Back in October 2020, the central bank assured everyone that this shiny new CBDC would just be a buddy to the existing cash and non-cash rubles. Meanwhile, over in China, they’re already paying civil servants with their digital yuan. Talk about a race! 🏁

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2025-02-27 12:40