V-Bucks, the in-game currency used in Fortnite, is now worth more than the ruble after Russia's currency plummeted following the country's invasion of Ukraine.
The Bank of Russia was forced to raise its interest rate this week after the ruble crashed by 30%, with the collapse eating away at the ruble's buying power and potentially wiping out the savings of residents in the country.
At the time of writing, one ruble is equivalent to 0.0086 US dollars, while the value of one V-Buck stands strong at the equivalent of one cent - meaning Russia's currency is officially currently worth less than the in-game currency.
For $1, Fortnite users could have the equivalent of 100 V-Bucks, while $10 is the equivalent of 1000 V-Bucks.
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According to SportSkeeda, V-Bucks' worth has been the same since Epic Games released its battle royale game with the virtual currency.
The currency can be used to purchase outfits, objects such as pickaxes, wraps, emotes, and Battle Passes, though it cannot be used to purchase anything in the real-world.
With that in mind, the fact that V-Bucks are worth more than rubles doesn't have any real-world impact, but the fact the Russian currency has plummeted to less than a video game currency is certainly telling of the impact of the war.
Earlier this week, the ruble found itself overtaken by the cryptocurrency Bitcoin as it reached more than $41,000 on Monday, according to CoinMarketCap’s price index, per The Independent. In the same time period, the ruble fell by around 25% to a new record low.
Market analysts cited by The Independent have claimed the surge in Bitcoin price was partly fuelled by people exchanging the Russian currency to Bitcoin, with the crypto acting as a 'store-of-value' amid times of geopolitical and economic uncertainty.
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Paolo Ardoino, CTO of the crypto exchange BitFinex, told the publication: 'In these uncertain times, we have seen an uptick in the utility of bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies. It goes without saying the defining characteristics of bitcoin allows it to act as a safe haven during turbulent times.'
The Russian bank stressed 'external conditions for the Russian economy have changed dramatically' as it announced its increase to the interest rate this week, adding: 'An increase in the key rate will make it possible to ensure an increase in deposit rates to the levels necessary to compensate for the increased devaluation and inflation risks. This will help maintain financial and price stability and protect citizens’ savings from depreciation.'
The rubles' drop in worth comes as Western countries impose a number of sanctions against Russia in a bid to bring an end to its invasion of Ukraine.
If you would like to donate to the Red Cross Emergency Appeal, which will help provide food, medicines and basic medical supplies, shelter and water to those in Ukraine, click here for more information
Topics: Gaming, Russia, Technology, World News, Money
