Digital ruble usage is driven more by curiosity than by utility, poll finds

A survey by VTB, the majority state-owned Russian banking group, published this week found that 42% of respondents who opened a digital ruble account did so mainly out of curiosity or a desire for a new experience. The poll followed the Bank of Russia’s launch of the central bank digital currency less than two months earlier, and it found that 54% of respondents wanted cashback or discounts to encourage regular use, while 42% wanted more merchants to accept it. The State Duma also passed on first reading a bill giving the Bank of Russia authority to decide who may use the digital ruble for cross-border payments and to restrict such transactions.