Mumbai: The value of central bank digital currency (CBDC) or e-rupee in circulation jumped to Rs 1,016 crore at the end of March 2025 from Rs 234 crore in the year-ago period, the Reserve Bank said on Thursday.

The RBI is exploring the commencement of CBDC pilots on cross-border payments, it said in the annual report without giving a timeline. A bulk of Rs 857 crore of the e-rupee in circulation is in Rs 500 denomination, the annual report said, adding Rs 200 (Rs 91 crore in circulation) and Rs 100 (Rs 38 crore in circulation) denominations also have sizeable presence. As at end-March 2025, the e-rupee retail pilot was expanded to 17 banks and 60 lakh users.

To further enhance adoption and improve distribution, certain non-banks have been allowed to offer CBDC wallets.