Russia's central bank first floated the idea of the digital rouble last October, saying it could be issued on top of existing cash and non-cash roubles to facilitate payments.
China's example shows that they want to use their digital currency as a tool for international settlements.
Shares of companies that have invested in bitcoin have vastly outperformed on Wall Street in 2021 and are extending their gains thanks to Tesla’s $1.5 billion bet on the soaring digital currency.
The price of bitcoin hit a record high over $48,000 on Tuesday in a two-day surge after Tesla said on Monday that it had bought the digital currency and would soon accept it as a form of payment for cars.
The news sent Bitcoin soaring as high as $43,625 as of 1300 GMT. The electric carmaker unveiled the investment ten days after its chief executive Elon Musk added a "#bitcoin" tag on his Twitter profile page, which drove bitcoin higher on the day.