The National Bank of Ukraine announced that it will expand the hryvnia denomination structure by putting a new UAH 2,000 banknote into circulation on 4 September 2026. The central bank presented the move as a response to economic changes since the launch of the UAH 1,000 note in 2019, including higher wages and prices, a sharp increase in cash in circulation and a growing concentration of value in the highest existing denomination. It said the new note is intended to make cash-cycle management more efficient while preserving access to cash as a resilience tool alongside widespread cashless payments. The National Bank of Ukraine said average monthly wages have tripled and consumer prices have doubled over the past seven years, meaning an average salary would now require more than thirty UAH 1,000 notes if paid in cash. Cash in circulation has risen from almost UAH 390 billion in 2019 to more than UAH 970 billion as of 1 July 2026, and UAH 1,000 notes now account for more than 55% of the total value of banknotes in circulation, which it described as a signal in international central banking practice that a higher denomination is needed. The authority said the new note should reduce production, transport, storage and processing costs for the state, ease operational workloads for banks and retailers, and make cash use and storage more convenient for the public and businesses. The new banknote will feature poet and dissident Vasyl Stus on the front and the Faculty of Philology of Donetsk National University on the reverse. It will follow the design style of modified hryvnia banknotes issued between 2014 and 2019, use a blue color scheme, measure 75 x 166 mm and include more than 20 security features, including an updated window thread, a SPARK OVI element and what the National Bank of Ukraine described as the first use of an Anima Colour windowed security thread on a banknote.

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