PANews reported on December 12 that the Parliament of Kyrgyzstan approved a draft law in the first reading that establishes the framework and legal status for the digital som. Once fully implemented, the digital som will serve as the national currency of Kyrgyzstan and will be recognized as legal tender throughout the country. The National Bank of Kyrgyzstan will supervise its issuance, accounting, and distribution through a centralized platform, granting the country's central bank exclusive rights to issue this currency. Prototype testing for the digital som is scheduled to begin in early 2025, with full integration into the country's financial ecosystem expected by January 2027.