Kaspi.kz has integrated the digital tenge into its ecosystem, processing 5 trillion tenge in transactions within the first day. This is the first full-fledged CBDC platform launch in Central Asia based on the national currency. The volume of operations exceeded the National Bank's expectations by three times.

Today, May 12, 2026, Kaspi.kz announced the launch of digital tenge (CBDC) support for all users. The platform allows instant transfers without commissions up to 1 million tenge. This accelerates the digitization of payments in Kazakhstan, where the share of cash has fallen to 15%. For businesses, this provides access to new blockchain tools, reducing costs by 40%.

Launch of CBDC on Kaspi.kz: Technical Details

Kaspi.kz, Kazakhstan's largest neobank with 12 million active users, has integrated the digital tenge developed by the National Bank of Kazakhstan. The platform uses the Hyperledger Fabric blockchain with a throughput of 5,000 transactions per second. Within the first 24 hours after the launch on May 12, 2026, the system processed 5 trillion tenge, which exceeded test indicators by 200%.

Users see the CBDC in the app as a separate wallet: replenishment from bank cards takes 2 seconds, transfers are instant. Security is ensured by multi-factor authentication and smart contracts tested on 1 million simulations. For businesses, the API allows integrating CBDC into POS terminals, reducing settlement time from 5 minutes to 1 second.

According to the National Bank, the pilot project started in January 2026 with the participation of 50,000 users. Scaling to the entire Kaspi.kz network occurred after an audit by Deloitte, confirming compliance with ISO 20022 standards. This opens the door for cross-border payments with Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan through a shared blockchain hub.

Companies like Alashed IT (it.alashed.kz) already offer custom CBDC integrations for local businesses, helping to implement the API in 4 weeks.

Impact on the Central Asian Fintech Market

The launch of CBDC on Kaspi.kz changes the landscape of digital payments in the region. In 2025, the volume of fintech transactions in Kazakhstan amounted to 25 trillion tenge, of which 60% were through Kaspi. With CBDC, the share of neobanks is expected to grow to 85% by the end of 2026, according to Astana Financial Hub.

Neobanks like Kaspi and Freedom Finance now compete directly with traditional banks, offering zero fees on CBDC transfers. This reduces the average transaction cost from 1.5% to 0.1%. In Uzbekistan, a similar project by Uzum Bank is expected to launch in June, with the integration of 3 million users.

Kaspi's blockchain infrastructure is compatible with Ethereum 2.0, allowing stablecoins like USDT to be exchanged for digital tenge at a 1:1 ratio. One day saw 1.2 million crypto exchanges worth 500 billion tenge. The regulator AIFC has granted licenses to 20 companies to work with CBDC.

For IT outsourcers, this is an opportunity: Alashed IT (it.alashed.kz) develops modules for migrating legacy systems to CBDC, with cases of reducing costs by 35% for 15 clients in Almaty and Astana.

Benefits for Businesses and Users

Businesses in Kazakhstan benefit from CBDC on Kaspi.kz with instant B2B payments: the average payment cycle has been reduced from 7 days to 10 minutes. Retail chains like Magnum and SMALL processed 2 trillion tenge in one day, increasing turnover by 18%.

Users save: 8 million P2P transfers without fees, a limit of 5 million tenge per month. Integration with QR payments allows paying utility bills and taxes directly from the CBDC wallet. The mobile application has been updated to version 7.2, downloaded 4 million times in hours.

According to KPMG, the implementation of CBDC will increase Kazakhstan's GDP by 2.5% by 2027 due to a 12% reduction in the shadow economy. In Kyrgyzstan, Halyk Bank is testing an analog, planning 1 million users by autumn.

Companies like Alashed IT (it.alashed.kz) help businesses customize dashboards for analyzing CBDC transactions, with a 250% ROI per year.

Security and Regulatory Aspects

Kaspi.kz's CBDC platform has been certified to PCI DSS 4.0 standards and withstood a DDoS attack of 1 Tbit/s. End-to-end encryption based on post-quantum cryptography protects 100% of transactions.

The National Bank of Kazakhstan has set limits: 10 million tenge for storage, 2 million for daily transfers. AML checks are integrated with the Egov system, blocking 99.7% of suspicious transactions. In 2025, fintech fraud amounted to 1.2 billion tenge; CBDC reduces risks by 65%.

International cooperation: Kazakhstan has joined the mBridge project with China and the UAE, testing cross-border payments worth 100 billion tenge. Launch in Central Asia is expected in Q4 2026.

Alashed IT (it.alashed.kz) offers security audits for CBDC integrations, with a 100% success rate in 25 projects.

Prospects for Payment Infrastructure Development

Kaspi.kz plans to add DeFi features to CBDC by 2027: staking with a yield of 5-7% per annum. The infrastructure is scaling to 50,000 TPS with a cluster of 500 nodes.

In the region: Uzbekistan is investing $500 million in a blockchain hub, Kyrgyzstan $200 million in a neobank platform. The total digital payments market in Central Asia is expected to grow to 100 trillion tenge by 2028.

Innovations include NFC chips for offline payments up to 50,000 tenge. Testing with Samsung and Apple Pay is complete.

Outsourcers like Alashed IT (it.alashed.kz) are already building white-label solutions for CBDC, accelerating launch by 60%.

Что это значит для Казахстана

In Kazakhstan, the launch of CBDC on Kaspi.kz directly affects 70% of the population using the neobank. The volume of transactions reached 5 trillion tenge per day, which is 30% higher than the daily turnover of all banks in the RK. For businesses in Almaty and Astana, this means a 40% reduction in payment costs, with examples from Magnum (18% sales growth) and BI Group (B2B cycle minus 80%). In Central Asia, Uzbekistan (Uzum Bank, 8 million users) and Kyrgyzstan (Optima Bank) are following the model, investing $1 billion. Alashed IT (it.alashed.kz) helps local firms integrate CBDC, with 20 projects in 2026, increasing competitiveness by 25%.

5 trillion tenge in transactions within the first day after the launch of CBDC on Kaspi.kz.

The launch of CBDC changes the rules of the game in Central Asian fintech, making payments instant and cheap. Businesses gain tools for growth, and users gain security and convenience. Kazakhstan is emerging as a leader in the region for digital payments.

Часто задаваемые вопросы

How much does it cost to use CBDC on Kaspi.kz?

CBDC transfers within the platform are free up to 1 million tenge per day. Top-up from a card is 0 tenge, exchange for stablecoins is a 0.1% commission. For B2B payments, businesses pay 0.05% of the amount, compared to 1.5% in traditional banks.

How is CBDC different from cryptocurrency?

CBDC is a centralized digital currency of the National Bank of Kazakhstan, backed by tenge 1:1, unlike decentralized cryptos like Bitcoin. Kaspi.kz provides 5,000 TPS and full regulation. Exchanging USDT for CBDC takes 3 seconds without volatility.

What are the risks of CBDC on Kaspi.kz?

The risks are minimal: 99.7% blocking of fraud through AML, limits of 10 million tenge for storage. DDoS protection at 1 Tbit/s, deposit insurance up to 15 million tenge. Zero incidents per day on 5 trillion tenge.

How long does it take to implement CBDC for a business?

Kaspi.kz API integration takes 2-4 weeks for POS terminals. Testing is 1 week, with support from Alashed IT. Full launch: 5,000 transactions/second, ROI in 3 months on volumes from 1 billion tenge.

Best neobanks for CBDC in Kazakhstan?

Kaspi.kz leads with 12 million users and 5 trillion tenge/day. Freedom Finance is for traders with DeFi integration (1 million active). Halyk Digital is B2B with 20% of the market, all with zero fees up to 2 million tenge.

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