CoinVoice has recently learned that a bill has been submitted to the State Duma of Russia, aimed at mandating banks and merchants to use the digital ruble while implementing a universal QR code payment system. The bill is led by a group of senators and deputies, including Anatoly Aksakov, the chairman of the Duma's Financial Market Committee, and has been officially submitted to the lower house's electronic database.
The proposal outlines a phased rollout plan for the digital ruble, starting on July 1, 2025, initially launching at systemically important banks (those crucial to national economic stability) and expanding to all banks by 2027. Merchants must also accept the digital ruble to promote public usage. By July 2025, businesses with annual revenues exceeding 30 million rubles must enable digital ruble payments, and by July 2026, the threshold will be lowered to 20 million rubles. Businesses in areas without mobile or internet access are exempt from this requirement.
The bill, combined with the universal QR code system, simplifies the payment process to facilitate the seamless use of the digital ruble. An amendment to the Consumer Protection Law requires merchants to comply with regulations to ensure wider adoption. Additionally, credit institutions and foreign bank branches participating in the platform are obligated to support these transactions. [Original link]