In its official announcement issued in Kigali on February 26, 2026, BNR stated that the PoC, conducted between May and October 31, 2025, confirmed that a Rwanda-specific CBDC could enable secure and instant payments, promote innovation in the financial sector and support the country’s broader cashless and digital economy objectives.
According to the central bank, the exercise was carried out in collaboration with commercial banks, payment service providers, fintech innovators and key public institutions.
The initiative provided practical insights into technology performance, user experience, risk management as well as legal and policy considerations.
The Central Bank noted in the announcement that the findings demonstrate the technical feasibility of a CBDC tailored to Rwanda’s context.
It added that the full PoC report detailing key findings and lessons learned has been published on the bank’s official website.
Building on these results, the central bank announced that it will proceed with a 12-month pilot phase to further test the eFRW under real-life conditions.
The pilot will involve a limited and diverse group of users across Kigali, a secondary city and selected rural locations.
Financial inclusion will be a priority during the pilot, with Central Bank indicating that it will test simple access channels such as USSD and low-cost devices to ensure broader participation.
The pilot will also expand real-life use cases by engaging merchants and other stakeholders in a controlled environment.
The announcement further stated that Central Bank will deepen collaboration with domestic and international partners including work on interoperability and potential cross-border use cases.
The pilot will be conducted under strong safeguards including privacy-by-design principles, robust cyber-security measures and close coordination with financial institutions and relevant authorities.
However, the Central Bank emphasized that no decision has been made regarding the issuance of the e-Franc Rwandais. It clarified that any decision to introduce a CBDC in Rwanda will be informed by evidence gathered during the pilot phase, stakeholder feedback and broader policy and regulatory considerations.
The central bank reaffirmed its commitment to transparency and continuous engagement with the public and stakeholders as the pilot phase progresses.