According to a survey by Rambler&Co Media Group in Russia, over half of Russians plan to use the digital ruble. However, many people are only prepare to try this new thing after it is fully rolled out.

On the 9th, Russia’s Central Bank announced that it will launch a digital ruble pilot in actual transactions on August 15th. In the initial phase, the central bank will pilot the opening of digital ruble wallets, customer to customer transfers, and payment for goods and services in stores. In the beginning, 13 banks will participate.

The analysts explained: “The majority (56%) of respondents answered in the affirmative...... while 44% have not yet planned to use it, when asked if they would personally use the digital ruble.” At the same time, a high proportion (85%) of respondents only plan to try this new thing after it is fully implemented, and 15% of respondents hope to participate in the testing. A total of 118,100 Internet users took part in the survey, of which 72% were male and 28% were female.

32% of respondents plan to try a new currency format believing it will be more convenient for online shopping, while 24% of people claim that using it will simplify the savings and investment process (24%). The central bank has repeatedly emphasized that the digital ruble is only used as a means of payments and transfers, and that it cannot be used for deposits and loans.

Nevertheless, 41% of Russians believe that the new currency form has a small impact on their personal lives. A third (34%) of people consider that it will complicate the financial system, while a quarter (25%) of people welcome new things because banking will become more convenient in their opinion.

Respondents deemed that the digital ruble will bring more benefits to entrepreneurs. The analysts concluded that they believe this is a strong anti-corruption measure (49%) and a way to reduce corporate spending (40%). The respondents also pointed out that it is easier to pay taxes (7%) and salaries (4%) in digital rubles.

(Source: BRICS Technology Transfer Service Platform)