Kazakhstan Plans to Expand Digital Tenge Use to 2 Trillion Tenge
Kazakhstan plans to expand the use of the digital tenge to 2 trillion tenge over the next 12 months, National Bank Governor Timur Suleimenov said at the Central Asia Fintech Summit 2026.
"We have a firm commitment agreed with the government. Our initial target was 1 trillion tenge, but given the new objectives related to major infrastructure, construction and other programs, we now aim to increase the use of the digital tenge to 2 trillion tenge over the next 12 months," Suleimenov said.
He said the digital tenge was being gradually integrated into public procurement, budget planning and government funds. The National Bank is not prioritizing its use for retail payments because commercial banks already offer their own consumer payment products.
Suleimenov also said 90% of payments in Kazakhstan were now cashless.
He highlighted the nationwide interbank QR payment system, launched July 19. The system has already processed 20 million transactions worth more than 400 billion tenge and secured a 25% market share, he said.
The digital tenge was launched in 2023, followed by the Anti-Fraud Center in 2024. Kazakhstan developed its interbank payment infrastructure in 2024 and 2025 before launching the interbank QR system this year.
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