According to the Economic Times, Russia has begun consumer testing on the digital ruble, becoming the 21st country in the world to test digital currency.
The Russian Central Bank said the test will be carried out at 30 sales points in 11 cities, with the participation of 13 banks and 600 members of the public. The central bank plans to officially launch the digital ruble around 2025-2027, but promised not to force people to use it.