Russia: 220K+ digital ruble accounts opened in first month of expansion

Bank of Russia reports over 220,000 citizen digital ruble accounts opened within a month of the September 1 expansion, indicating faster-than-expected adoption. The central bank's CBDC rollout is progressing, though the scale remains small relative to Russia's population. This signals a gradual shift in Russia's financial infrastructure, with potential implications for financial control and sanctions evasion monitoring.