Around half of Russian citizens have no interest in trying the digital ruble, according to a survey which also found that some 40% see no advantages in the latest incarnation of the national fiat.
The results were published after lawmakers in Moscow approved a new timetable for the introduction of the state-issued coin. It should start about a year from now in accordance with Bank of Russia’s latest proposal that followed Putin’s recent call for wide adoption.
Russians largely unaware of digital ruble
Despite recently increased media coverage surrounding the updated deadlines for the gradual launch of the digital twin of the Russian fiat, half of the Russian population know nothing about the digital ruble or have merely heard the term, according to a new poll.
Only 7% of Russians are aware of the third form of legal tender in their country, after cash and bank money, which has been under development for years. Understanding what “digital ruble” means, even among those who know about it, remains vague, the authors of the study noted, elaborating:
“A third of respondents found it difficult to answer, and among the rest, opinions were divided between perceiving the digital ruble as a form of non-cash or electronic money, an analogue of the regular ruble in a new form, and simply ‘virtual currency’.”
The survey has been conducted by the government-controlled Russian Public Opinion Research Center (VCIOM) in partnership with the Roscongress Foundation, organizer of the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF).
Skepticism falling but still very high
While the share of those who are willing to use Russia’s central bank digital currency (CBDC) has grown over the past couple of years, from 30% in 2023 to 35% in 2025, the majority remains quite skeptical. The pollsters highlighted:
“Half of Russians do not want to try the new ruble format.”
Men are generally more open towards the idea than Russian women, but the young, under the age of 35, are definitely the most eager among potential users.
“With age, the share of those who ‘definitely would not want’ to use the digital ruble grows, reaching its maximum among respondents over 60 years old,” VCIOM added, emphasizing the difference between generations.
Few Russians see advantages in CBDC
Most Russians find it difficult to gauge the advantages of a digital ruble, while the few who can recognize them list security, convenience and transparency at the top – answers that have remained unchanged since last year’s edition of the poll.
The opinions of the majority align with those of German Gref, the CEO of Russia’s largest lender. Speaking to the media at the SPIEF, the top Sberbank executive admitted he was having a hard time seeing any potential benefits, stating:
“As an individual, I don’t understand why digital rubles are needed. As a bank… I don’t yet understand it very well either.”
At 40%, skeptics convinced that the digital ruble brings no significant advantages over traditional Russian fiat form a much larger portion of the surveyed sample than optimists, at just 6%. Тhe share of people who can’t answer the question about the pros and cons is quite high, VCIOM pointed out, concluding:
“In general, the digital ruble is still perceived more as a potential risk than as an obvious benefit.”
Worried participants in the study have clearly formulated their main concerns, including that the digital ruble comes with risks of hacking, increased state control, and dependence on the Internet, again repeating the top three answers from 2024.
Russian authorities plan to offer the public access to the new coin in stages, starting from September 1, 2026, as per the Bank of Russia’s new schedule, approved this week by the State Duma, the lower house of parliament. In June, Vladimir Putin urged regulators to speed up its launch.
