PANews reported on June 20 that according to Bitcoin.com, Anatoly Aksakov, Chairman of the Financial Market Committee of the Russian State Duma, said on June 18 that the large-scale application of the digital ruble is now scheduled for 2026. The launch plan originally scheduled for July 1, 2025 was postponed because financial institutions needed more time to improve the infrastructure. Since the launch of the pilot in August 2023, it has expanded to 15 banks, about 2,000 individuals and 50 companies, and has processed more than 55,000 personal transfers and 15,000 commodity payments. The Russian Central Bank emphasized that the digital ruble is completely voluntary and will not cancel cash or non-cash payment forms.

Lawmakers in the US House of Representatives and Senate met with cryptocurrency industry leaders in three separate roundtable events this week. Members of the US Congress met with key figures in the cryptocurrency industry to discuss issues and potential laws related to the establishment of a strategic Bitcoin reserve and a market structure.On Tuesday, a group of lawmakers that included Alaska Representative Nick Begich and Ohio Senator Bernie Moreno met with Strategy co-founder Michael Saylor and others in a roundtable event regarding the BITCOIN Act, a bill to establish a strategic Bitcoin (BTC) reserve. The discussion was hosted by the advocacy organization Digital Chamber and its affiliates, the Digital Power Network and Bitcoin Treasury Council.“Legislators and the executives at yesterday’s roundtable agree, there is a need [for] a Strategic Bitcoin Reserve law to ensure its longevity for America’s financial future,” Hailey Miller, director of government affairs and public policy at Digital Power Network, told Cointelegraph. “Most attendees are looking for next steps, which may mean including the SBR within the broader policy frameworks already advancing.“Read more

