Customers of Russia’s second-largest state bank opened wallets on the Central Bank of Russia’s platform through VTB services. Multiple wallets cannot be opened, as commercial banks act solely as intermediaries, providing access to the CBDC wallet via their online banking portals. Logging into a digital ruble account through another bank’s app will simply connect to the same existing account.
Among VTB customers, the most active users of the third form of money are men aged 36–45. These are primarily clients from the mass segment with high transactional activity—individuals who frequently transfer non-cash funds and actively use banking products and investment offerings. According to VTB, most holders of digital rubles have at least one savings account, often linked to an individual investment account (IIS).
In second place for engagement are men aged 46–55. They also have many savings accounts; nearly half have an Individual Investment Account (IIA), one in five has a term deposit, and one in ten has enrolled in a Long-Term Savings Pension Program (LTSP). The state bank stated that customers in this group regularly use payment cards for everyday transactions.
Approximately 14% of accounts in the first weeks after the CBDC launch were opened by residents of Moscow, according to VTB. The top five cities for account openings include Saint Petersburg, Novosibirsk, Yekaterinburg, and Chelyabinsk—primarily major Russian cities.
Previously, First Deputy Chairman of the Sberbank Board Alexander Vedeyhin reported that over ten thousand accounts were opened through Sber in the first two days after the launch of the digital ruble. Vedeyhin clarified that these are primarily accounts with minimal balances, meaning users are simply becoming familiar with the new financial instrument.
On October 1, employees of the Russian Ministry of Finance received their salaries in digital rubles for the first time. The Ministry of Finance clarified that this does not apply to all staff, but did not disclose the exact number of employees receiving their salary in the third form of the national currency. Since September 1 of this year, major banks and large retail companies have been required to open their infrastructure to customers for transfers and payments in digital rubles.