One notable aspect of the pilot launch was the distribution of free lunches to schoolchildren in Astana, where the Onay transport card was utilized. Thanks to partnerships with Visa and Mastercard, the digital tenge could be used not only within Kazakhstan but also for international transactions—an unprecedented level of versatility for a state digital currency, as highlighted in the report by the Central Bank.
Looking ahead, the Central Bank plans to test offline transactions with the digital tenge, addressing the issue of limited internet connectivity in certain regions of Kazakhstan. Furthermore, they aim to explore the potential of the digital currency for international payments. It is worth noting that testing for Kazakhstan’s Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC) commenced in mid-November.