Digital Ruble Could Reshape Money Usage in Russia

Goznak Chairman Arkadiy Trachuk stated that the digital ruble could redistribute the use of cash and unrecorded money in Russia. Trachuk also noted that the institution sees opportunities in smart contracts and platform connectivity services.

Scraper SystemJune 19, 2026, 10:03 AM

Digital Ruble Could Reshape Money Usage in Russia

Goznak Chairman Arkadiy Trachuk said that the digital ruble will create a new distribution in the use of cash and unrecorded money in Russia. Trachuk emphasized that according to the Central Bank of Russia's definition, the digital ruble is the third form of national currency, yet it will change payment habits.

According to the Central Bank of Russia, currently, cash in the form of banknotes and coins circulates alongside unrecorded money held in bank accounts. The digital ruble is positioned as a new option in addition to these two forms.

According to the Central Bank's schedule, major banks are required to enable payments with the digital ruble starting from September 1. After this obligation, the same requirement will extend to other banks.

Trachuk stated that the digital ruble does not directly compete with other forms of money but will cause changes in usage preferences. From Goznak's perspective, the impact of the digital ruble on banknote orders has not yet been reliably measured.

Trachuk explained that the institution has accumulated experience in information technology and information security, and therefore they are trying to find a role in the digital ruble infrastructure. Accordingly, Goznak is considering working in two separate areas.

The first area concerns the digital ruble platform's structure that allows smart contracts. Trachuk noted that Goznak is responsible for operating and developing various government information systems, so they see the potential for implementing digital ruble-based smart contracts in these systems.

The second area is directly related to platform access services. Trachuk said that Goznak has the capacity to offer connection points to the digital ruble platform through its own data centers and can develop this as an "infrastructure as a service" model.

The digital ruble process is also being closely monitored in Russia regarding the technical infrastructure of payment systems and banks' compliance capacity. Goznak's assessment indicates that this new form of money raises not only payment issues but also the possibility of integration with public systems.

Digital Ruble Could Reshape Money Usage in Russia