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Bank of Russia Aims for Full Launch of Digital Ruble in 2024

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The Central Bank of Russia plans to begin the comprehensive implementation of the digital ruble two years from now, according to a paper detailing its monetary policy priorities for the 2023 – 2025 period. As the development of the state-issued digital currency continues, the monetary authority intends to gradually connect various financial institutions to the platform.

Russia’s Central Bank to Introduce Digital Ruble Currency in 2 Years

The Central Bank of the Russian Federation (CBR) has recently published a draft document that sets out the main directions for its monetary policy in the next three years. The paper reveals that one of the key goals for the regulator will be the introduction of a digital version of the national fiat currency, the ruble, and reads:

In 2024, the Bank of Russia will begin to gradually connect all credit institutions to the digital ruble platform and increase the number of available payment options and transactions using smart contracts.

While the full-scale implementation of the digital ruble will begin in two years’ time, some of its features, such as the offline mode, as well as the connecting of non-banking financial organizations and exchanges, are expected in 2025, the Russian crypto news outlet Bits.media reported, quoting the bank.

The phased approach towards introducing the central bank digital currency (CBDC) will allow market participants to adapt to the new conditions, the CBR emphasized. The bank also remarked that if needed, certain restrictions may be imposed like limiting the amount of digital rubles that can be held in a single wallet or fixing a maximum amount that can be transferred with each transaction.

Critics have warned that the CBDC can potentially threaten the stability of the banking system but the Bank of Russia does not expect a large-scale outflow of funds from bank deposits as traditional financial institutions attract capital by offering interest payments and bonus programs. For Russian banks, the digital ruble should serve as “an additional incentive to increase the attractiveness of bank accounts,” the CBR added.

Keeping money in bank accounts has certain advantages over storing cash in digital wallets as the former accrue income, the central bank elaborated. That’s why, the Bank of Russia does not intend to pay any interest on digital ruble holdings on its CBDC platform.

The latest timetable for the digital ruble comes after an earlier official statement which indicated that the CBR is accelerating the project’s schedule. In June, Deputy Governor Olga Skorobogatova announced that a roadmap for the full implementation of the new form of the national currency is expected by the end of 2023.

The CBR is also preparing to begin trials with real transactions and users in April next year, earlier than initially planned. In May, Skorobogatova admitted that financial sanctions imposed by the West over Russia’s military invasion of Ukraine have played a role for the bank’s decision to speed up the development of the CBDC.

Do you think the Bank of Russia will be able to introduce the digital ruble in 2024? Tell us in the comments section below.

The post Bank of Russia Aims for Full Launch of Digital Ruble in 2024 first appeared on RealTimeBit.

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RedotPay enters South Korea with crypto-powered payment cards

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Hong Kong-based fintech firm RedotPay has reportedly launched its cryptocurrency-enabled payment cards in South Korea, positioning itself as a potential disruptor in a market dominated by traditional credit card firms and mobile payment services.

The company’s crypto debit cards—both physical and virtual—are now accepted at all Korean merchants that support Visa, according to a May 9 report by The Korea Economic Daily.

The move marks RedotPay’s latest step in global expansion, following its earlier partnership with Visa and BIN sponsor StraitsX in February 2025 to enhance cross-border crypto payment capabilities.

RedotPay, founded in 2023, has rapidly scaled since the soft launch of its crypto card program in late 2024. It now serves more than 4 million users worldwide.

In South Korea, users can receive a virtual card for $10 or a physical card for $100, with minimal verification requirements, including name, address, and ID.

Reports on social media indicate that the card is currently available to Korean users. “You can use it right away with your smartphone without a physical card by simply verifying your identity upon issuance,” one user wrote on X.

Source: Blippi

Related: North Korean spy slips up, reveals ties in fake job interview

RedotPay cards support major cryptocurrencies

The RedotPay cards support major cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin (BTC) and Ether (ETH) and stablecoins such as USDC (USDC) and USDt (USDT). Users can load their cards with crypto assets from several blockchains, including Solana, Polygon, BSC, Tron, and Arbitrum.

One standout feature is RedotPay’s real-time stablecoin payment and refund system. When a purchase is made, stablecoins are deducted instantly from the user’s wallet.

If a transaction is canceled, refunds in USDC or USDT are processed within minutes.

RedotPay is also compatible with Apple Pay in Seoul, giving it an edge in a market where Apple Pay is currently limited to Hyundai Card customers. The compatibility could prove crucial as RedotPay challenges Korea’s established payment infrastructure.

Crypto adoption has been accelerating in South Korea, where over 16 million people reportedly hold crypto. This has also made crypto a key topic in the 2025 South Korean presidential race.

On May 6, South Korea’s Democratic Party leader Lee Jae-myung became the latest presidential candidate to promise the approval of spot crypto exchange-traded funds (ETFs) and other crypto-friendly measures, should he be elected.

South Korea’s ruling party, the People Power Party, also reportedly made crypto policy promises in late April, which included allowing spot crypto ETFs, dismantling Korea’s controversial one-exchange-one-bank rule, and establishing a regulatory framework for stablecoins.

Magazine: Crypto wanted to overthrow banks, and now it’s becoming them in stablecoin fight

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Robert Kiyosaki says ditch ‘fake money’ for Bitcoin, gold, and silver

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Robert Kiyosaki, businessman and best-selling author of Rich Dad Poor Dad, is once again sounding the alarm on the dangers of centralized monetary policy — urging his followers to abandon what he calls “fake money” and adopt alternatives like Bitcoin, gold, and silver.

In a May 10 post on X, Kiyosaki backed a hardline stance against central banking systems, particularly the Federal Reserve, while quoting former US Congressman Ron Paul.

Ron Paul, a longtime critic of the Fed and author of End the Fed, described interest rate setting by central banks as “price fixing,” equating it to socialist and Marxist economic control.

Paul warned that such mechanisms erode personal wealth and undermine economic freedom — a sentiment that aligns closely with Kiyosaki’s long-held concerns.

“Fake money leads to dishonest money, dishonest statistics, dishonest accounting, dishonest balance sheets, dishonest compensation, dishonest relations, dishonest leaders, and corruption in everyday life,” Kiyosaki wrote.

He called on Americans to “fight back” by opting out of fiat systems and instead embracing decentralized stores of value like Bitcoin (BTC) and precious metals.

Source: Robert Kiyosaki

Related: ‘Rich Dad, Poor Dad’ author calls for $1 million BTC by 2035

Kiyosaki remains a major fiat critic

Kiyosaki’s disdain for fiat currency is not new. He has repeatedly criticized the US dollar, labeling it a “dying” currency inflated by government spending and central bank manipulation.

His financial philosophy, rooted in Austrian economics and personal sovereignty, champions assets that cannot be debased or politically controlled.

Kiyosaki has long argued that bearer assets like gold, silver, and more recently Bitcoin, are critical hedges against inflation and key to long-term generational wealth accumulation through economic cycles.

“Don’t work or save fake money,” he advised. “Get on your own decentralized gold, silver, and Bitcoin standard.”

In an April 18 post, Kiyosaki forecasted that Bitcoin could hit $1 million by 2035 as the US dollar continues to lose value to inflationary monetary policies.

“I strongly believe, by 2035, that one Bitcoin will be over $ 1 million, gold will be $30,000, and silver $3,000 a coin,” he said.

Kiyosaki is not the only one expressing confidence in Bitcoin’s future.

In February 2025, ARK Invest CEO Cathie Wood said that Bitcoin could hit $1.5 million by 2030 if demand for the digital asset continues to grow.

More recently, on Dec. 10, Eric Trump delivered the keynote speech at the Bitcoin MENA event in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates (UAE), and predicted that Bitcoin would hit $1 million due to its scarcity.

Magazine: TradFi fans ignored Lyn Alden’s BTC tip — Now she says it’ll hit 7 figures: X Hall of Flame

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BlackRock’s Bitcoin ETF posts $356M inflows, longest inflow streak in 2025

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BlackRock’s spot Bitcoin ETF (IBIT) capped off the trading week with another day of inflows, pulling in $356.2 million on May 9. The fund has now extended its inflow streak to 19 consecutive days — its longest run of inflows so far this year.

IBIT’s inflow streak has been ongoing since April 14, and has coincided with a volatile Bitcoin (BTC) market, with the asset trading between $83,152 and $103,000 over the period. However, market sentiment has been increasing after the asset reclaimed and held above the $90,000 price on April 23 before reclaiming the $100,000 price on May 8 for the first time since Feb. 1.

Bitcoin ETFs ticking along as Bitcoin price spikes

Over the past trading week alone, IBIT posted $1.03 billion in inflows, according to Farside data.

Prior to the current 19-day streak, IBIT’s longest inflow streak in 2025 was a nine-day stretch surrounding US President Donald Trump’s inauguration on Jan. 20, spanning from Jan. 15 to Jan. 28.

Approximately $41.13 billion has flown into the spot Bitcoin ETFs since their launch in January 2024. Source: Farside

IBIT’s longest inflow streak since the spot Bitcoin ETFs launched in January 2024 lasted 104 days, stretching from the launch date through April 23, 2024.

The streak coincided with Bitcoin reaching a new all-time high of $73,679 in March before pulling back into the mid-$60,000 range.

BlackRock’s Bitcoin ETF recently won an award

On April 23, BlackRock’s spot Bitcoin ETF was named the “Best New ETF” at the annual etf.com ETF awards. In an X post shortly after, Bloomberg ETF analyst Eric Balchunas said it “feels right to me.”

Related: Institutional investors continue to scoop up Bitcoin above $100K

Bitwise’s head of European research, André Dragosch, recently said Bitcoin’s expanding institutional adoption may provide the “structural” inflows necessary to surpass gold’s market capitalization and push its price beyond $1 million by 2029.

“Our in-house prediction is $1 million by 2029. So that Bitcoin will match gold’s market cap and total addressable market by 2029,” he told Cointelegraph during the Chain Reaction daily X spaces show on April 30.

Magazine: Adam Back says Bitcoin price cycle ’10x bigger’ but will still decisively break above $100K

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