Operations with the digital ruble are currently carried out mainly on the Android platform
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As Kommersant learned, operations with the digital ruble as part of an experiment with its real use, launched in mid-August, are so far taking place primarily on the Android platform, as the most popular and loyal. It is still difficult for iPhone (iOS) users to try the new product; the American system regularly blocks applications from sanctioned banks. While payments in digital rubles are limited to mobile applications of banks, transfers, payments using QR codes similar to SBP, etc. are available there.
As Kommersant was told by the Central Bank, at the moment, as regards working with the digital ruble – with wallets (digital accounts), access to them is provided to citizens through the bank’s mobile application, of which the person is a client. “The pilot is currently testing operations on smartphones with different operating systems, both Android and iOS,” they assured.
The digital ruble (DR) is the third form of national currency, which will be issued in addition to existing cash and non-cash funds. Transactions with it will be free for citizens. Digital accounts will be opened on the Central Bank platform, banks will be able to open digital ruble accounts for clients in their mobile applications and through other remote banking channels.
The pilot to test the digital ruble in real transactions started in mid-August. It included 13 banks: Alfa Bank, Dom.RF, Ingosstrakh Bank, VTB, Gazprombank, Qiwi Bank, Ak Bars Bank, MTS Bank, Promsvyazbank, Sovcombank, Sinara, Rosbank and “TKB Bank”
However, only one of the banks participating in the pilot confirmed information about working on the iOS platform. “We tested our digital ruble solutions on both the iOS and Android platforms. The functionality of these solutions does not depend on the platform.”
Most players are testing the digital ruble on Android. “Since most of the banks in the pilot are on sanctions lists, the pilot is carried out on Android devices,” says one of Kommersant’s interlocutors. “It’s easier and cheaper to test processes on one platform and then scale them,” he continues. “The digital ruble is being tested on the Android platform,” says Vitaly Kopysov, director of innovation at Sinara Bank. “Firstly, it is most often used among the population, and secondly, there are alternative stores for installing applications.” More than 70% of active users of VTB Online today use it from Android devices, so VTB is primarily testing the operation of digital rubles on this platform, the bank noted. According to Stanislav Danysh, Chairman of the Board of Ingosstrakh Bank, as part of the pilot, the bank is developing Android and web applications.
Last week in Sochi, the Central Bank reported that testing of the digital ruble was going according to plan. In 2024, the Bank of Russia is preparing to expand the pilot, attracting new participants and expanding the functionality of operations. The mass introduction of digital rubles may begin in 2025.
The digital ruble turned out to be in demand, so, according to Promsvyazbank, since the beginning of the project to pilot the digital ruble, participants in the pilot group have opened more than 40 digital accounts and successfully completed several thousand transactions, including transfers between individuals, payments by QR code using the digital ruble. “Currently, electronic wallets are available on the Android operating system,” they indicated there.
“In the current understanding, the digital ruble will be integrated with existing banking interfaces,” says the head of the Association of Participants in the Electronic Money and Money Transfer Market, Viktor Dostov. “If a bank has an application for iOS, there will be a digital currency there. If not, it will be in the web interface.” In principle, there may be other options, he adds, for example, from his point of view, transactions with CDs should appear in ATMs. “There are no technical problems with the implementation of the application for working with the digital ruble on iOS, but given the trend towards abandoning the use of Apple technology in government agencies, a political decision may be made about the inappropriateness of implementing the digital ruble on iOS. In this case, the web interface can be a solution,” concludes Roman Prokhorov, head of the board of the Financial Innovations Association (AFI).
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