The Bank of Russia has decided to simplify banks' connection to the digital ruble platform after reports of high implementation costs. At the regulator's request, the Fintech Association (AFT) developed a special guide to help financial organizations choose a suitable connection method without unnecessary technical complexities and expenses. The initiative is especially relevant for small banks, for whom implementing the new payment infrastructure is costly.
The main tool is the so-called playbook — a detailed instruction with ready-made architectural solutions, technical recommendations, and a checklist of requirements. Instead of independently searching for a suitable integration scheme, banks will be able to compare existing options and choose the one that best suits their infrastructure and capabilities.
The problem of connection costs has already attracted the attention of the State Duma. Earlier, Anatoly Aksakov, Chairman of the Committee on Financial Markets, reported that small banks and credit organizations are experiencing difficulties in implementing the digital ruble due to the high cost of technical work. For such market participants, the need to rebuild internal systems and ensure interaction with the new platform becomes a serious obstacle.
The Fintech Association expects that standard solutions will help reduce costs and make connection more accessible for a larger number of financial organizations. This is important for the further spread of the digital ruble, as citizens will be able to use the new form of money through the applications of banks connected to the Central Bank platform.
However, specific amounts of possible savings and timelines for implementing additional solutions have not yet been announced. The developed guide should help banks understand the technical side of the connection, but it does not eliminate all integration costs by itself.