OREANDA-NEWS The head of the Bank of Russia, Elvira Nabiullina, speaking in the State Duma, called the statements about the payment of pensions only in digital rubles and the replacement of cash with them absolutely untrue. She noted that the digital ruble is another payment method.

On March 31, the Izvestia newspaper reported that some pensioners will be paid pensions in digital rubles. As the publication noted, the innovation will affect customers of 13 pilot banks.

"Recently there have been quite a lot of different rumors about the digital ruble, for example, that it will replace cash or that pensions will be paid only in digital rubles. This is absolutely not true. The digital ruble does not cancel or replace anything, it complements. This is another way of calculating," Elvira Nabiullina said (quoted by RIA Novosti).

On March 16, State Duma deputies approved the law on the digital ruble in the first reading. The document gives the Bank of Russia the authority to create and manage the infrastructure for the functioning of the currency. The digital ruble should enter consumer circulation by 2030. At the end of March, the Central Bank told about the first tests of transfers of digital rubles between individuals.