The article analyzes the legal, technological, and practical aspects of introducing the digital ruble, the national digital currency issued by the Bank of Russia. The evolution of digital money as a phenomenon is examined, with emphasis on its transition from an innovation to an element of everyday financial practice. The regulatory framework formed in 2023–2025 is reviewed, including key federal laws that established the status of the digital ruble and postponed the date of its full-scale implementation. Considerable attention is given to the international context, particularly the experience of China, where the digital yuan has already been widely integrated into everyday payment operations, serving as a reference point for assessing the prospects of the Russian model. The debate regarding the legal nature of the digital ruble is explored, with emphasis on the contradictions between its legislative definition as a “third form of money” and its classification in the Civil Code of the Russian Federation as a type of non-cash funds. The emission-related characteristics of the digital currency are analyzed, along with its technological structure, including unique transaction traceability and the possibility of offline operations. The potential advantages of the digital ruble are highlighted: increased transparency of budget fund movement, reduced fees, and improvement of the payment infrastructure. At the same time, several risks are identified – user limitations, potential information security threats, and the possibility of excessive state control. The necessity of legally ensuring the voluntary nature of using the digital ruble is emphasized as a safeguard for the constitutional rights of citizens.