Belarus will launch the digital rouble in 2026 to ensure financial security and facilitate cross-border payments, in cooperation with Russia.
The new form of national currency is expected to solve the problem of security of funds and facilitate cross-border payments.
The Belarusian Digital Rouble (DBR) will be fully introduced into circulation in Belarus in the second half of 2026, said Roman Golovchenko, Chairman of the Board of the National Bank of Belarus, during an interview on the First Information TV channel, according to BelTA.
According to him, by that date businesses will be able to use the digital form of the national currency, and in 2027 the DBR will also be accessible to government institutions and citizens.
The development of the DBR platform began in January 2024. Its creation was entrusted to one of the leading developers of software solutions for the National Bank of Belarus: the Centre for Banking Technology. The platform was developed on the open-source blockchain Hyperledger Fabric, based on the code of the Linux Foundation.
Golovchenko emphasised that the digital blockchain is one of the National Bank's priorities. According to him, the most important issue for the Central Bank to address is the security of funds. The possibility of tracking how 'digital money travels through the entire chain' is very important, the head of the regulator explained.
Golovchenko also described the use of digital currency in cross-border payments as very promising. He noted that Belarus is "cooperating very closely" with Russia on this issue.
"It is very important that these currencies, as they say, communicate with each other and allow us to carry out international transactions. Now, in parallel with the creation of the Belarusian digital rouble infrastructure, we are already working on a joint action plan for the use of these instruments in mutual settlements," he said.
Second phase of the Russian digital ruble underway
A realistic approach to estimating domestic demand for the digital rouble in Russia.
The second phase of the digital rouble (DR) pilot project is already underway in Russia. Previously, its large-scale launch was scheduled for the summer of 2025, but the Bank of Russia has postponed the date indefinitely. According to the President of the Central Bank, Elvira Nabiullina, the new date will be decided after the completion and analysis of the tests, in which 15 banks and some 30 companies are participating.
By the end of 2024, the regulator, together with the Ministry of Finance and the Treasury, has already tested some transactions with the digital rouble as part of the budget process. As of 25 August this year, an experiment on its use for the payment of social subsidies and public construction expenditure is scheduled to begin.
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Elliptic's 26 September report reveals how sanctioned Russian entities, through a wallet network run by fugitive Ilan Shor, moved more than $8 billion in digital assets, circumventing Western restrictions and relying on stablecoins such as USDT.
The new form of national currency is expected to solve the problem of security of funds and facilitate cross-border payments.
The Belarusian Digital Rouble (DBR) will be fully introduced into circulation in Belarus in the second half of 2026, said Roman Golovchenko, Chairman of the Board of the National Bank of Belarus, during an interview on the First Information TV channel, according to BelTA.
According to him, by that date businesses will be able to use the digital form of the national currency, and in 2027 the DBR will also be accessible to government institutions and citizens.
The development of the DBR platform began in January 2024. Its creation was entrusted to one of the leading developers of software solutions for the National Bank of Belarus: the Centre for Banking Technology. The platform was developed on the open-source blockchain Hyperledger Fabric, based on the code of the Linux Foundation.
Golovchenko emphasised that the digital blockchain is one of the National Bank's priorities. According to him, the most important issue for the Central Bank to address is the security of funds. The possibility of tracking how 'digital money travels through the entire chain' is very important, the head of the regulator explained.
Golovchenko also described the use of digital currency in cross-border payments as very promising. He noted that Belarus is "cooperating very closely" with Russia on this issue.
Second phase of the Russian digital ruble underway
The second phase of the digital rouble (DR) pilot project is already underway in Russia. Previously, its large-scale launch was scheduled for the summer of 2025, but the Bank of Russia has postponed the date indefinitely. According to the President of the Central Bank, Elvira Nabiullina, the new date will be decided after the completion and analysis of the tests, in which 15 banks and some 30 companies are participating.
By the end of 2024, the regulator, together with the Ministry of Finance and the Treasury, has already tested some transactions with the digital rouble as part of the budget process. As of 25 August this year, an experiment on its use for the payment of social subsidies and public construction expenditure is scheduled to begin.
Sign up for Spaziocrypto®
The community for Blockchain, Cryptocurrency and Innovative Technologies enthusiasts, combining Passion, Knowledge and Opportunities in the Digital World
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