By mid-2026 Belarus will begin gradual implementation of digital Rouble — as noted by Roman Golovchenko, Chairman of the Board of the National Bank of Belarus, in his interview with SB. Belarus Segodnya
According to him, digital Rouble will make financial operations even faster, more convenient and secure, “Digital Belarusian Rouble isn’t merely a trend, but a strategic necessity. The whole world is moving towards digital national currencies and we can’t sit on the sidelines or we’ll have to use other countries’ digital money. Beginning in 2022, the National Bank of Belarus has been implementing a digital Belarusian Rouble project. The main goals are, firstly, strengthening of Belarus payment sovereignty and, secondly, achieving a new technological level of payment system, including blockchain integration. Additionally, reducing transaction costs not only in foreign trade business operations, but also in domestic payments.”
Roman Golovchenko also spoke about the digitalisation of Belarus’ financial sector, “Digitalisation is, undoubtedly, a key to accessibility of financial services for every Belarusian. The National Bank of Belarus prioritises further development of the technological environment. Payment via phone, QR or contactless payment cards is now commonplace. The share of non-cash payments in retail has already reached 64 percent, and we took it to another level — the Interbank Identification System was established and thanks to it any citizen can become a client of any bank in the country and get the necessary service from home. We have simplified the procedure for legally significant transactions: many of them can now be done online, using modern software without the need for a digital signature, which earlier could have been a barrier for some citizens.”
According to him, the use of biometric data to confirm transactions was introduced to improve the convenience and security of payments. Instant Payment system is being actively developed. It allows a user to transfer money to family and friends (including abroad) in seconds, knowing only their mobile phone number.
“The National Bank of Belarus will continue to support such innovations, providing a solid technological and legal foundation,” the Chairman of the Board of the National Bank noted.