The Russian Ministry of Finance has begun paying wages in digital rubles
On October 1, 2026, several employees of the Russian Ministry of Finance received their salaries in digital rubles for the first time. “To transfer budget payments, they opened digital ruble accounts on the Bank of Russia platform.” – according to the press release.
As a reminder, the widespread use of the digital ruble began on September 1, 2026. Major banks and retailers have opened their infrastructure to clients for transfers and payments in digital rubles.
The option to convert wages into digital rubles is available to all Russian citizens and is optional.
The Bank of Russia and the Russian Ministry of Finance are working together to introduce the digital ruble into the budget process.
The Russian Ministry of Finance and the Federal Treasury conducted the first digital ruble payments for federal budget expenditures last year. As part of the pilot project, salaries and stipends were paid, and some payments under government contracts were processed. The total volume of such transactions in 2025 amounted to almost 16 million rubles.
Starting in January 2026, federal budget expenditures in digital rubles are no longer limited to a specific list. Federal state-owned, budget-funded, and autonomous institutions can freely use digital rubles for payments. Federal budget-funded and autonomous institutions can accept payments for services in digital rubles. Budget payments can also be made in digital rubles.
