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Bank of Russia considers paying interest on digital ruble balances
A deputy central bank chair said the idea is under review, which would change the digital ruble's role from payments toward savings.
Key takeaways
- Bank of Russia deputy chair Zulfiya Kakhramanova said the central bank is considering interest on digital ruble balances.
- Until now the regulator described the digital ruble as a means of payment, not savings.
- No rate, timeline or eligibility terms were included in the report.
- Bits.media published the report on 11 November 2026 and is the only source for this article.
What the central bank is looking at
The Bank of Russia is considering whether to pay interest on balances held in digital rubles, deputy chair Zulfiya Kakhramanova said, according to a report by Bits.media published on 11 November 2026.
The digital ruble is the central bank digital currency, or CBDC, that the Bank of Russia is developing: a digital form of the national currency issued by the central bank rather than by a commercial bank. The report says the regulator had previously described it only as a means of settlement, not as a way to save or accumulate money.
Paying interest would move the digital ruble away from that earlier position. Under such a change, a balance held in digital rubles would earn a return instead of sitting idle, though the report does not describe how that would work in practice.
What is not known
The report gives no interest rate, no date for a decision and no terms on which interest would be paid. It also does not say whether the central bank has approved a formal proposal or whether the idea is only under discussion.
Bits.media attributes the statement to Kakhramanova. The Bank of Russia has not been cited directly on the matter in the material available for this article, and no decision has been reported.
Whether the Bank of Russia will take the idea further, and on what schedule, remains open.
Sources
1 reportThis article was prepared by BattleTown Newsroom from the reports listed above.
Frequently asked questions
What is the digital ruble?
It is a central bank digital currency, a digital form of the Russian national currency issued by the Bank of Russia rather than by a commercial bank.
Will digital ruble balances pay interest now?
No decision has been reported. According to a report by Bits.media, a deputy chair of the Bank of Russia said the central bank is considering the idea.
This story is for information only. It is not financial, investment or legal advice. Disclaimer
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