SWIFT blockchain ledger to go live, 17 institutions to pilot tokenised deposit cross-border transactions

Odaily Planet Daily News The international banking communication organization SWIFT has announced that its blockchain-based distributed ledger technology is ready to enter the initial application phase. A total of 17 global financial institutions will serve as early adopters to test real-time transactions based on Tokenised Deposits.

SWIFT stated that since announcing its plan to integrate a blockchain ledger into its technical system at the 2025 Sibos conference, it has taken only nine months to progress from concept design to preliminary implementation. This project aims to help financial institutions explore the application of digital assets and new forms of digital value on top of the existing trusted, secure, and global infrastructure.

The first application scenario focuses on improving the efficiency of cross-border payments. As the demand from businesses and consumers for 24/7 financial services increases, traditional payment systems are constrained by time zones and operating hours. The SWIFT ledger will provide a secure coordination layer for participating banks, enabling them to facilitate round-the-clock transfers of funds based on tokenised deposits issued on their own ledgers, before final settlement through existing clearing systems.

SWIFT stated that tokenised deposits were selected as the first pilot direction because they represent a regulated digital form of commercial bank money. This approach can enhance customer experience and liquidity management efficiency without altering existing compliance, credit risk, and control systems.