On March 18, the Russian Central Bank has invited the Republic of Tatarstan to assist in testing the smart contract function of the digital ruble. The Tatarstan Ministry of Finance has set up a working group to use the central bank's test platform to conduct conditional targeted fund expenditure experiments, and the test is expected to end in the third quarter of 2025. The previous month, the Russian Central Bank "delayed" the national digital ruble promotion plan originally scheduled for August this year, but the test shows that the digital ruble project is still in progress. Central Bank Governor Elvira Nabiullina said the new launch date will be announced later. Meanwhile, Moscow Metro has also announced the expansion of its digital ruble pilot project, working with the central bank and VTB banks to test the ability to recharge Troika smart cards using digital ruble. These developments are similar to China's digital renminbi pilot projects, but Russia has previously stated that one of the main functions of the digital ruble is to help Russian companies make cross-border payments with other countries using digital fiat currencies.