The digital ruble in action: first transactions and architecture of the new payment system
Anatoly Aksakov, Chairman of the State Duma Committee on the Financial Market, became one of the first to personally test the digital ruble in real-world conditions. His experience allows for a detailed analysis of how the third form of the national currency functions in practice.
How Payment Works
To conduct transactions, Aksakov opened a special account in the Bank of Russia system, linking it to his personal mobile phone number. The process of transferring funds is initiated in the standard application of the commercial bank where the client is serviced. After pressing the "digital ruble" button, the system automatically redirects the user to the regulator's platform.
Next, the person selects the desired recipient and instantly sends the money. According to the legislator, technically the procedure is no different from a regular payment at a restaurant. Aksakov himself has already successfully paid with the new currency at an establishment that had previously opened a digital account. Commercial organizations operate under the exact same scheme: companies can freely receive funds, make transfers, and pay for necessary services.
Key Differences from Non-Cash Money
The main difference lies precisely in the vector of cash flow movement. Below is a comparative table to understand the logic of the process.
| Criterion | Non-Cash Payments | Digital Ruble |
| Where money moves | Within the system of commercial banks | In the unified system of the Bank of Russia |
| Where funds are stored | On the balance sheet of a specific bank | On the Central Bank platform |
| Technical base | Many interbank servers | Essentially one Central Bank computer |
Consequently, during regular payments, rubles move between commercial entities. In contrast, the digital version always remains within the perimeter of the Bank of Russia. Thus, on the platform, amounts are simply transferred from one balance to another. This increases the overall transaction speed. Salaries in new rubles will be credited to an isolated special account. The balance is displayed in the familiar banking application but exists separately from other funds.
Official Launch and First Transactions
The first company to send an official budget payment in the new currency was the enterprise "Smak-Agro." The amount of this transfer was 125 thousand rubles.
The novelty represents the third form of the national currency. It is completely equivalent to cash and standard non-cash funds. For example, one paper ruble is exactly equal to one non-cash or one digital ruble. Citizens and companies will store this money in special wallets on the Central Bank platform.
The law on the introduction of the new payment form from September 1, 2026, was approved by President Vladimir Putin back in July 2025. Starting from this date, all major retail outlets and banks are obliged to provide Russians with the opportunity to make purchases in digital format.
Analytical commentary from Cryptalist: The pilot launch of the digital ruble demonstrates the regulator's thoughtful approach to infrastructure changes. The key advantage is centralized accounting and instant settlements, which is especially critical for budget payments and large corporate transfers. However, for mass adoption, issues of privacy and flexibility of use must be resolved so that the digital ruble becomes a real alternative, rather than just a coercive tool.