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The Role of RITS in Supporting Settlement in a Tokenized Ecosystem (RBA)
The Role of RITS in Supporting Settlement in a Tokenized Ecosystem (RBA)
The Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) launched a consultation on the roles of the Reserve Bank Information and Transfer System (RITS) (the RBA's real-time gross settlement (RTGS) platform) and Fast Settlement System (FSS) (the RBA's fast payment platform) in supporting settlement in a tokenized ecosystem. As highlighted in the May 2026 Project Acacia final report, tokenization has the potential to enhance the efficiency, functionality and resilience of Australia’s wholesale financial markets. The consultation seeks views on how the RBA’s settlement services could support the development and growth of tokenized asset markets and tokenized private money in Australia, while continuing to promote safety, efficiency and financial stability. The consultation is one of several initiatives identified in Project Acacia as forming the basis of a future program of work aimed at ensuring Australia’s money, payments and settlement arrangements remain fit for the future. The RBA is also seeking views on key design considerations for tokenized central bank reserves. [RBA]
#Tokenization#Settlement#RTGS#FastPayments#Fintech#Australia#DFC
·rba.gov.au·
The Role of RITS in Supporting Settlement in a Tokenized Ecosystem (RBA)
Digital Currency in the Australian Context: An Update (RBA)
Digital Currency in the Australian Context: An Update (RBA)
The Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) and the Australian Government Treasury published reports that concluded that Australia’s retail payment system is serving households and businesses well, and that there is no clear public interest case for a retail central bank digital currency (CBDC). This is consistent with the conclusions of the 2024 "Central Bank Digital Currency and the Future of Digital Money in Australia" RBA and Treasury joint paper. The new assessment drew on a public consultation conducted by Verian Group, which asked Australians about their payment needs and views on a potential retail CBDC. Going forward, the RBA will continue monitoring developments in retail payments, cash accessibility, tokenized money, consumer payment preferences and digital finance both domestically and internationally, to ensure it remains well placed to reassess the case for a retail CBDC should circumstances (and the policy case) change in the future. In the meantime, the RBA remains committed to progressing an ambitious range of initiatives in wholesale markets and money, including a coordinated work program on wholesale tokenized finance. [RBA] https://www.rba.gov.au/payments-and-infrastructure/tokenised-money/pdf/unmet-payment-needs-consultation-final-report.pdf
#Australia#CBDC#Tokenization#Payments#Fintech#DFC#wCBDC
·rba.gov.au·
Digital Currency in the Australian Context: An Update (RBA)
Tokenizing Central Bank Money on Public Blockchains (SSRN)
Tokenizing Central Bank Money on Public Blockchains (SSRN)
Ulrich Bindseil and Benjamin Duve posted a paper that explores the option of issuing central bank digital currency (CBDC) on public blockchains. The paper first reviews the main reservations, which include technical fragmentation, governance and operational risks, financial-stability concerns, and illicit-use and reputational risks. It then assesses how modern blockchain features may mitigate risks and evaluates the public policy objectives such issuance could advance. For example, central banks can mitigate chain-selection, operational, and illicit-use risks through formal admission criteria and strict issuer-controlled interoperability, plus embedded compliance architecture, and issuer-level control over minting, redemption, and freezing—paralleling existing stablecoin practice. Public rails would be markedly cheaper than proprietary infrastructure, while advancing monetary sovereignty, seigniorage, and financial stability. The authors conclude these risks are manageable, proposing licensed, fully backed licensed stablecoins as a transitional alternative. [SSRN]
#CBDC#Blockchain#Fintech#DFC#DLT
·papers.ssrn.com·
Tokenizing Central Bank Money on Public Blockchains (SSRN)
Ministers to Boost Innovation in Payments with New Objective for Bank of England (U.K. HMT)
Ministers to Boost Innovation in Payments with New Objective for Bank of England (U.K. HMT)
The U.K's HM Treasury (U.K. HMT) announced that the Bank of England will receive a new secondary objective supporting innovation in payment systems and digital money, subordinate to its primary financial-stability mandate. The change extends an approach already used for central counterparties and securities depositories under the Financial Services and Markets Act 2023 to systemic payment systems, including those using digital settlement assets such as stablecoins; the Bank will report annually to Parliament. Officials framed the move as necessary to keep pace with technologies like tokenization and distributed ledger technology while preserving the U.K.'s standing in financial services. Implementation requires amendments to the Financial Services and Markets Bill, next debated in the Lords on September 7-9, 2026. [U.K. HMT]
#Fintech#PaymentSystems#Stablecoins#UnitedKingdom#DFC
·gov.uk·
Ministers to Boost Innovation in Payments with New Objective for Bank of England (U.K. HMT)
Russia’s Digital Ruble Goes Live on September 1 (Bank of Russia)
Russia’s Digital Ruble Goes Live on September 1 (Bank of Russia)
Starting September 1, 2026, customers of the largest Russian banks may voluntarily use the digital ruble retail central bank digital currency (CBDC) through a single wallet accessible in participating banks’ mobile applications. The Bank of Russia will initially require major banks and merchants exceeding ₽120 million in annual revenue to support the digital ruble, with broader bank and merchant obligations phased in through September 2028. Firms with annual revenues below ₽5 million are exempt from acceptance requirements. The arrangement avoids interbank transfers of digital-ruble balances: users can fund the wallet from conventional bank accounts up to ₽300,000 rubles per month, make unrestricted person-to-person transfers, and pay merchants without fees. A universal merchant QR code will present digital-ruble payment alongside the Faster Payments System and other available methods. [Bank of Russia]
#Russia#Fintech#CBDC#DFC#rCBDC
·fincult.info·
Russia’s Digital Ruble Goes Live on September 1 (Bank of Russia)
Large-Scale Introduction of Digital Ruble to Begin on September 1, 2026 (Bank of Russia)
Large-Scale Introduction of Digital Ruble to Begin on September 1, 2026 (Bank of Russia)
[July 15, 2026] The large-scale rollout of the digital ruble will begin on September 1, 2026, when customers of the largest Russian banks may use the retail central bank digital currency (CBDC) through a single wallet accessible in participating banks’ mobile applications. The Bank of Russia will initially require major banks and merchants with annual revenues exceeding ₽120 million to support the digital ruble, with broader bank and merchant obligations phased in through September 2028. Firms with annual revenues below ₽5 million are exempt from acceptance requirements. The arrangement avoids interbank transfers of digital-ruble balances: users can fund the wallet from conventional bank accounts up to ₽300,000 rubles per month, make unrestricted person-to-person transfers, and pay merchants without fees. A universal merchant QR code will present digital-ruble payment alongside the Faster Payments System and other available methods. [Bank of Russia]
#CBDC#Russia#rCBDC#Fintech#DFC
·cbr.ru·
Large-Scale Introduction of Digital Ruble to Begin on September 1, 2026 (Bank of Russia)
Regulating Stablecoin Issuance: Permissible Entities and Activities (BIS)
Regulating Stablecoin Issuance: Permissible Entities and Activities (BIS)
The BIS published a paper by Currat, Ehrentraud and Ocampo that provides a comparative analysis of the regulatory frameworks for stablecoin issuers across the European Union, Hong Kong, Singapore, the United Kingdom and the United States. It finds that approaches differ significantly, particularly in terms of the types of entities allowed to issue them and the scope of activities permitted beyond core issuance. Stablecoin frameworks generally limit issuers to a core set of functions such as issuance, redemption and reserve management, but they differ in how far issuers may stray from them. Frameworks that allow banks to issue under existing prudential regimes tend to permit a broader range of activities, as their regulatory framework already mitigates associated risks. In constrast, bespoke regimes for stablecoin issuers impose stricter limits. These activity restrictions apply to the issuing entity rather than the group. For banks, consolidated supervision already constrains the relocation of activities to affiliates; for non-banks, no equivalent group-wide framework applies, and restrictions can be circumvented with corporate structuring. [BIS]
#BIS#CryptoAssets#Fintech#Regulation#Stablecoins#DFC
·bis.org·
Regulating Stablecoin Issuance: Permissible Entities and Activities (BIS)
Marshall Islands MEC Partnering With Lomalo to Expand Payment Options (MEC)
Marshall Islands MEC Partnering With Lomalo to Expand Payment Options (MEC)
The Republic of the Marshall Islands (RMI) Marshalls Energy Company (MEC) will enable prepaid electricity (“Cash Power”) purchases through Lomalo’s mobile wallet from August, supplementing existing online purchases through MEC's website. Verified users link a meter number, buy credit in the app, and receive a token for manual entry into the existing meter. Registered meters receive a $10 introductory credit. The arrangement embeds an essential-utility payment use case in Lomalo, a mobile wallet operated with the Ministry of Finance, Banking and Postal Services. Lomalo wallet-to-wallet transfers are made via blockchain-based interest-paying USDM1 sovereign digital bonds pegged to the U.S. dollar and backed by equivalent values of short-term U.S. Treasury Bills. Lomalo's and USDM1's flagship use case is distributing ENRA, the RMI's universal basic income (UBI) program. [MEC]
#Fintech#Marshall_Islands#DFC#USDM1#Payments#Stablecoins#Blockchain
·mecrmi.com·
Marshall Islands MEC Partnering With Lomalo to Expand Payment Options (MEC)
First Fully Onchain Repo Transaction Completed Using a Sovereign Digital Bond (Businesswire)
First Fully Onchain Repo Transaction Completed Using a Sovereign Digital Bond (Businesswire)
Virtu Financial, M1X Global, and Tradeweb completed the first fully onchain repo transaction using a sovereign digital bond, USDM1, as collateral on the Canton Network. USDM1, natively issued by the Republic of the Marshall Islands (RMI) under New York law as a Brady-bond-style instrument backed 1:1 by short-dated US Treasuries, functioned as collateral with atomic settlement across securities, cash, and repurchase legs, completing a full cycle in under 10 minutes. Unlike prior onchain repo demonstrations using digital cash or off-chain collateral, this combined natively issued sovereign collateral with full onchain settlement. The structure claims favorable Basel 3.1 risk-weighting versus stablecoins or tokenized funds, and supports ISDA/GMRA netting. However, USDM1 is being offered and sold solely outside the United States in reliance on Regulation S under the U.S. Securities Act. [Businesswire]
#Fintech#Repo#Blockchain#DFC#Tokenization#USDM1#Marshall_Islands#Stablecoins
·businesswire.com·
First Fully Onchain Repo Transaction Completed Using a Sovereign Digital Bond (Businesswire)
Tokenized Deposits Could Affect Bank Liquidity, Maturity Transformation (Dallas Fed)
Tokenized Deposits Could Affect Bank Liquidity, Maturity Transformation (Dallas Fed)
The U.S. Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas (Dallas Fed) published an article that claims that widespread tokenized-deposit adoption could erode banks’ maturity-transformation capacity and increase liquidity needs, in the context of real-time payments, stablecoin competition, and emerging bank-led on-chain deposit models. By making deposits more transferable and rate-sensitive, tokenization could shorten their expected life and raise deposit betas, reducing the effective duration that supports longer-term lending. The authors estimate that deposits support roughly 80% of aggregate bank duration exposure; a 10% reduction in deposit life or increase in rate sensitivity could materially reduce capacity or require more term funding, raising credit costs. Faster outflows could also increase demand for reserves and Treasuries.[Dallas Fed]
#DepositTokens#Fintech#DFC
·dallasfed.org·
Tokenized Deposits Could Affect Bank Liquidity, Maturity Transformation (Dallas Fed)
Japan Eyes Blockchain for Instant Stock, Government Bond Settlement (Nikkei)
Japan Eyes Blockchain for Instant Stock, Government Bond Settlement (Nikkei)
Japan’s Ministry of Finance (MOF) and the Bank of Japan (BOJ) reportedly plan to develop a blockchain-based platform to support real-time 24/7 settlement of government bond and stock transactions using a wholesale central bank digital currency (CBDC). A study group involving the MOF, BOJ, Financial Services Agency, and financial institutions will soon be established, with a development plan expected to be finalized by early 2027, with a view to launching in the early 2030s. [Nikkei]
#Blockchain#Fintech#Japan#Settlement#SettlementSystems#Tokenization
·nikkei.com·
Japan Eyes Blockchain for Instant Stock, Government Bond Settlement (Nikkei)
India Plans First Tokenized Corporate Bond Issue in September (Reuters)
India Plans First Tokenized Corporate Bond Issue in September (Reuters)

India will reportedly pilot its first tokenized corporate bond issuance in September, with state-owned power financier Rural Electrification Corporation (REC) Limited issuing under 5 billion rupees in blockchain-recorded notes settled via the central bank digital currency (CBDC). The Reserve Bank of India and the markets regulator are jointly developing the framework, requiring investors to hold both a wholesale CBDC wallet and a new distributed-ledger securities wallet ("DEMAT 2.0") built by depositories, rather than trading on conventional electronic book platforms. Access is restricted to a select investor group at the pilot stage, bonds carry a three-month lock-in, and a secondary market is only expected by December, leaving interoperability and scaling questions unresolved. [Reuters]

#Fintech#India#DFC#Tokenization#CBDC#wCBDC
·reuters.com·
India Plans First Tokenized Corporate Bond Issue in September (Reuters)
Jam-Dex Transactions Climb as BOJ Expands Reach (Jamaica Observer)
Jam-Dex Transactions Climb as BOJ Expands Reach (Jamaica Observer)
Transaction volumes of the Bank of Jamaica (BOJ) JAM-DEX central bank digital currency (CBDC) have reportedly accelerated this year, reaching J$51.7 million in the seven months to July 2026, exceeding the J$19.3 million recorded in all of 2025 and about J$3 million in 2024. Deputy Governor Natalie Haynes said that outstanding JAM-DEX stands at J$294.7 million and subscribers at about 320,000, but both those numbers are little changed from end-2025, and only two wallet providers currently operate. (The amount of JAM-DEX minted has remained static at J$276 million since end-2023, and J$260 million was in circulation at end-2025 and the number of wallets was 305,000.) However, the BOJ is moving to bring more financial institutions onto the platform and widen merchant acceptance, and it expects that by the first half of 2027, about 40% of points of sale (POS) across the island should be able to accept JAM-DEX. [Jamaica Observer]
#Fintech#Jamaica#CBDC#DFC
·jamaicaobserver.com·
Jam-Dex Transactions Climb as BOJ Expands Reach (Jamaica Observer)
Proposed Rules on Who Can Legally Sell Stablecoins in United States (U.S. Treasury)
Proposed Rules on Who Can Legally Sell Stablecoins in United States (U.S. Treasury)
The U.S. Treasury has proposed rules implementing Section 3 of the GENIUS Act that define when a payment stablecoin is “issued,” “offered,” or “sold” in the United States, thereby determining licensing and market-access obligations. Issuance by an unlicensed person is generally prohibited from January 18, 2027; foreign issuers must be capable of complying with U.S. lawful orders and reciprocal jurisdictional arrangements; and, from July 18, 2028, U.S.-facing digital-asset service providers generally may offer only stablecoins issued by licensed issuers. The proposal operationalizes the Act’s territorial and intermediary-facing boundaries, making its definitions consequential for issuer structuring, offshore access, platform compliance, and the effective scope of federal/state stablecoin licensing. [U.S. Treasury]
#Regulation#Stablecoins#UnitedStates#CryptoAssets#DFC#Fintech
·home.treasury.gov·
Proposed Rules on Who Can Legally Sell Stablecoins in United States (U.S. Treasury)
How to Regulate Stablecoins -Exploring the Debatable Land between Securities and Payment Regulation (SSRN)
How to Regulate Stablecoins -Exploring the Debatable Land between Securities and Payment Regulation (SSRN)
Simon Gleeson proposes that UK stablecoin regulation should treat fiat-backed stablecoins primarily as payment instruments, not securities, because applying investment-market rules to their circulation is functionally incompatible with their intended money-like use. He locates the problem in a regulatory boundary: securities law restricts retail acquisition and intermediation, whereas payments regulation principally governs the resilience, conduct and competition of core payment providers. Simon argues that legal classification should turn on economic function and actual use, not token form or origin. The central unresolved issues are whether stablecoin custody can accommodate deposit-like title transfer, how broadly “arranging” captures software and infrastructure providers, and how financial-promotion, advice and arranging rules overlap—creating material uncertainty for UK-facing firms. [SSRN]
#Stablecoins#Regulation#CryptoAssets#UnitedKingdom#Fintech
·papers.ssrn.com·
How to Regulate Stablecoins -Exploring the Debatable Land between Securities and Payment Regulation (SSRN)
KPMG U.S. Unqualified Audit Opinion on Tether’s 2025 Financial Statements (Tether)
KPMG U.S. Unqualified Audit Opinion on Tether’s 2025 Financial Statements (Tether)
Tether reported that KPMG U.S. issued an unqualified opinion on Tether International’s 2025 U.S. GAAP financial statements, marking a shift from periodic reserve attestations to a full financial-statement audit. The audit tested assets, token-related liabilities, transactions, systems, ownership evidence, valuations and counterparties. Tether says it included physical inspection of its gold bars and showed reserves exceeding liabilities by $6.814 billion at year-end. However, Tether did not release the statements themselves, so there is still much that is not known, such as accounting policies, reserve composition, and counterparty exposures. [Tether]
#Accounting#Fintech#Auditing#DFC#Tether#USDT
·tether.io·
KPMG U.S. Unqualified Audit Opinion on Tether’s 2025 Financial Statements (Tether)
India to Launch CBDC-Based Direct Benefit Transfer POC in Chandigarh and Dadra & Nagar Haveli (GOI)
India to Launch CBDC-Based Direct Benefit Transfer POC in Chandigarh and Dadra & Nagar Haveli (GOI)

The Government of India (GOI) will launch programmable central bank digital currency (CBDC) based direct benefit transfers (DBTs) under the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana (PMGKAY) food subsidy program in the Territories of Chandigarh and Dadra & Nagar Haveli on August 14. With the launch of this scheme the subsidies will be transferred to eligible PMGKAY beneficiaries in the form of programmable digital rupee tokens directly into their CBDC wallets, instead of via traditional bank account transfers. This subsidy can be used to purchase food grains from listed merchants through a secure , trackable, and real-time digital payment system. The aim is to ensure transparent and thorough distribution of public funds , while also reducing leakages , embezzlement, and cash transactions associated with traditional subsidy distribution mechanisms. It will facilitate quick and secure transfer of benefits to beneficiaries and promote financial inclusion through simple wallet-based transactions. This initiative builds on pilots carried out earlier in 2026 in Puducherry and Gujarat, and is envisioned as a proof-of-concept for the nation and a scalable template for adoption by other states and territories. [GOI] https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleaseDetail.aspx?PRID=2232780&reg=48&lang=1 (Puducherry pilot) https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleaseDetail.aspx?PRID=2228470&reg=48&lang=1 (Gujarat pilot)

#CBDC#India#DFC#Fintech
·pib.gov.in·
India to Launch CBDC-Based Direct Benefit Transfer POC in Chandigarh and Dadra & Nagar Haveli (GOI)
BRICS Countries Discussing Linking CBDCs and Fast Payment Systems (Nagaland Post)
BRICS Countries Discussing Linking CBDCs and Fast Payment Systems (Nagaland Post)
Reserve Bank of India (RBI) Governor Sanjay Malhotra reportedly said that BRICS nations are discussing linking central bank digital currencies (CBDCs) and fast payment systems (FPSs) to facilitate cheaper and faster cross-border funds transfers. The BRICS countries are Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa, Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Indonesia, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Governor Malhotra also reportedly said that efforts are on to internationalize the rupee, including by expanding the number of memorandums of understanding (MoUs) between central banks that it signs for promoting bilateral trade in local currencies. At present, India and the RBI have signed such agreements with Indonesia, Maldives, Mauritius and the UAE. [Nagaland Post]
#BRICS#CBDC#Payments#FastPayments#CrossBorder#DFC#India
·nagalandpost.com·
BRICS Countries Discussing Linking CBDCs and Fast Payment Systems (Nagaland Post)
Tokenized Deposits: Old Wine in New Bottles? (SUERF)
Tokenized Deposits: Old Wine in New Bottles? (SUERF)
SUERF published a policy note by Alistair Milne that argues tokenized deposits offer little operational novelty over conventional account-based deposits, since the automation, programmability, and 24/7 processing attributed to distributed ledger technology are equally achievable on centralized ledgers. Decentralization's only distinct capability is pseudonymous transfer without intermediaries—which banks are not pursuing. Tokenized deposits' genuine appeal is confined to "on-us" transactions on a single bank's balance sheet, avoiding interbank settlement complexity. JP Morgan's Kinexys, adopted for corporate multi-currency cash management, exemplifies this, but reflects business logic rather than ledger technology. Milne characterizes bank tokenization efforts as a defensive marketing response to the stablecoin threat. Open questions include whether interoperability initiatives such as UK Finance's tokenized sterling deposits project can generate domestic adoption incentives, and whether capital markets tokenization—requiring 100% reserving and settlement-asset recognition—warrants separate assessment. [SUERF]
#DepositTokens#Fintech#Tokenization#DFC
·suerf.org·
Tokenized Deposits: Old Wine in New Bottles? (SUERF)
Delhi Lakshmi Yojana Crosses 514,000 Registrations in 1st Week (The Tribune)
Delhi Lakshmi Yojana Crosses 514,000 Registrations in 1st Week (The Tribune)
The Government of the National Capital Territory of Delhi has launched Lakshmi Yojana, providing eligible women ₹2,500 per month. Eligibility is limited to Delhi-resident women aged 21–60 in households with annual income up to ₹250,000. Recipients may elect to receive ₹1,000 through a central bank digital currency (CBDC) wallet for daily expenditure and ₹1,500 in a three-year fixed-term deposit, or place the full transfer in such a deposit. The design combines a retail CBDC payment component with an opt-in savings mechanism. As of 8 August, 514,460 women had registered. [The Tribune] https://govtschemesindia.com/delhi-laxmi-yojana/
#India#Fintech#CBDC#DFC
·tribuneindia.com·
Delhi Lakshmi Yojana Crosses 514,000 Registrations in 1st Week (The Tribune)
Beyond Money (Alex Nikolov)
Beyond Money (Alex Nikolov)
Alex Nikolov's "Beyond Money" argues that money is being displaced not by better monetary instruments—central bank digital currencies, stablecoins, or cryptocurrencies—but by "direct value handling": coordination through richer signals such as knowledge, need, capability, reputation, and trust, enabled by digital infrastructure and making monetary intermediation increasingly optional. Nikolov reframes money as an organizational technology that emerged to solve cooperation at scale under information scarcity, arguing those conditions are changing. The proposed successor organizing principle, termed "Gaia," envisions planetary-scale symbiotic coordination of human and ecological flourishing, drawing on evolutionary biology to contest the competition paradigm underlying monetary institutions. For policy, the argument challenges the shared premise of all current digital money initiatives that monetary exchange will remain society's central organizing mechanism. Whether "direct value handling" is scalable beyond niche examples—open-source software, energy communities—remains unaddressed. [LinkedIn]
#Fintech#DFC#Money#Payments#History
·linkedin.com·
Beyond Money (Alex Nikolov)
Digital Euro App to Incorporate Highest Accessibility Standards (ECB)
Digital Euro App to Incorporate Highest Accessibility Standards (ECB)

[July 30, 2026] The European Central Bank (ECB) detailed accessibility specifications for the proposed digital euro app, going beyond the European Accessibility Act and the European accessibility standard for information and communications technology products and services (European Norm 301 549), applying the highest World Wide Web Consortium Web Content Accessibility Guidelines tier adapted for mobile payments. Features include full keyboard navigation, screen reader support, simplified language, error prevention, and reduced-motion settings, developed with consumer groups, accessibility experts, and national central banks. This matters because the app would be one of several access channels under the proposed digital euro regulation, with payment service providers remaining the primary interface; consumer groups regard a universally accessible Eurosystem app as essential for inclusion. Usability and accessibility testing, including with Spain’s National Organization of the Blind Foundation and nineteen national central banks, will be conducted during the 2027 pilot. [ECB]

#CBDC#ECB#Eurozone#Fintech#FinancialInclusion
·ecb.europa.eu·
Digital Euro App to Incorporate Highest Accessibility Standards (ECB)
Bank of Korea Establishes Asset Tokenization Unit (Yonhap Infomax)
Bank of Korea Establishes Asset Tokenization Unit (Yonhap Infomax)
The Bank of Korea has reportedly established a dedicated asset tokenization unit under its Digital Currency Office as part of a regular mid‑year personnel reshuffle. The unit will lead efforts to tokenize assets, initially focusing on government bonds issued and distributed on a unified ledger integrating wholesale central bank digital currency (CBDC), bank deposits, and tokenized assets. This builds on “Project Hangang,” whose first real‑transaction phase ran from April to June 2025 and whose second phase will start in the second half of 2026 with more participating banks and enhanced functionality. The Korean government’s “2026 Second Half Economic Growth Strategy” also announces a government bond tokenization pilot linked to wholesale CBDC. [Yonhap Infomax]
#Fintech#Tokenization#DFC#Korea#CBDC#wCBDC
·en.infomaxai.com·
Bank of Korea Establishes Asset Tokenization Unit (Yonhap Infomax)
Open Standard Introduces Open USD Stablecoin (Open Standard)
Open Standard Introduces Open USD Stablecoin (Open Standard)
[June 30, 2026] Open Standard announced Open USD, a consortium‑governed, zero‑fee stablecoin infrastructure for high‑volume, internet‑scale payments, responding to perceived economic and governance constraints in incumbent issuer models. The announcement highlights three pillars: free minting and redemption at any volume, pass‑through of reserve income to partner institutions net a small management fee, and governance via an independent company whose board is drawn from those partners. A large set of global banks, card networks, payment processors, technology platforms, and crypto firms have committed to integrate or support Open USD, positioning it as shared rails rather than proprietary product. The project’s significance lies in its attempt to reallocate stablecoin seigniorage and formalize multi‑firm governance, with unresolved issues around regulatory treatment, reserve composition, risk management, and actual decision‑making power distribution. [Open Standard]
#Fintech#CryptoAssets#Stablecoins#DFC
·joinopenstandard.com·
Open Standard Introduces Open USD Stablecoin (Open Standard)
Japan's Three Largest Banks Aim for Joint Stablecoin Issue by March 2027 (Coin Desk)
Japan's Three Largest Banks Aim for Joint Stablecoin Issue by March 2027 (Coin Desk)
[June 10, 2026] Japan’s three largest banking groups plan to issue a jointly branded yen stablecoin by March 2027, under a trust-bank structure backed by Japan’s Financial Services Agency and ruling party support for yen tokens. Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group (MUFG), Sumitomo ⁠Mitsui Financial Group (SMBC) and Mizuho Financial Group will form a council to design the operational framework, act as joint settlors, and appoint a trust bank or similar institution as trustee, indicating a balance-sheet-light, segregated-assets model aligned with Japan’s stablecoin law. This will create a regulated, large-scale yen stablecoin in a market currently dominated by United States dollar tokens and where yen stablecoins remain below $50 million outstanding, with the leading token JPYC at around $18 dollars. Key unresolved issues are detailed operational design, legal treatment under evolving stablecoin rules, and how participation will extend beyond the initial three banks. https://www.bk.mufg.jp/global/newsroom/news2026/pdf/newse0610.pdf [Coin Desk]
#DFC#Japan#Fintech#CryptoAssets#Stablecoins
·coindesk.com·
Japan's Three Largest Banks Aim for Joint Stablecoin Issue by March 2027 (Coin Desk)
Application Results of the Call to Join the Digital Turkish Lira Project Ecosystem (CBRT)
Application Results of the Call to Join the Digital Turkish Lira Project Ecosystem (CBRT)
The Central Bank of the Republic of Türkiye (CBRT) announced that its open call for ecosystem participation in the digital Turkish lira has advanced 23 shortlisted projects into a sandbox‑based third stage, signaling a structured move from concept selection toward implementation‑grade testing. The three‑stage process drew 85 proposals from 16 banks and 25 payment and electronic money institutions, of which 51 passed initial screening and 23 from 12 banks and 6 payment institutions now proceed to development and sandbox evaluation, with 6 projects parked for possible later inclusion. The portfolio concentrates on tokenization, programmable payments, interoperability with existing systems, and self‑sovereign identity, with only one machine‑to‑machine proposal, underscoring a focus on retail and institutional payment use cases over internet of things (IoT) experimentation and leaving open how many pilots will ultimately transition to production‑grade infrastructure. [CBRT]
#CBDC#Turkey#DFC#Fintech
·tcmb.gov.tr·
Application Results of the Call to Join the Digital Turkish Lira Project Ecosystem (CBRT)
China Cuts Durian Settlement to 30 Minutes with First Outbound e-CNY Payment to Malaysia (SCMP)
China Cuts Durian Settlement to 30 Minutes with First Outbound e-CNY Payment to Malaysia (SCMP)
China has completed its first outbound e‑CNY payment via the Cross‑Border e‑CNY Express Service (CBETS) to Malaysia, settling a 43,000 yuan shipment of fresh durian. The transaction was executed by China Construction Bank’s Xiamen branch in coordination with its Labuan branch in Malaysia, using direct bank‑to‑bank ledger transfers and on‑the‑fly conversion into Malaysian ringgit. Compared with traditional correspondent banking networks operating under the Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunication (SWIFT) system, this cut settlement to 30 minutes from one to three days and eliminated clearing fees of up to 6% and per‑transaction charges of $25 to $35. CBETS, operated by the e‑CNY International Operation Center under the guidance of the People’s Bank of China’s Digital Currency Institute, provides on‑chain and off‑chain connectivity and 24/7 cross‑border settlement. [SCMP]
#China#CrossBorder#Payments#Malaysia#PaymentSystems#Fintech#DFC#DLT#Blockchain
·scmp.com·
China Cuts Durian Settlement to 30 Minutes with First Outbound e-CNY Payment to Malaysia (SCMP)
26 Financial Institutions Sign On as direct participants with e-CNY Center International (SCIO)
26 Financial Institutions Sign On as direct participants with e-CNY Center International (SCIO)
[June 17, 2026] The State Council Information Office of China (SCIO) announced that the e‑CNY International Operation Center, which operates under the guidance of the Digital Currency Institute of the People's Bank of China, has enrolled 26 institutions as direct participants on its Cross-Border e-CNY Transfer Services (CBETS) platform. Since the beginning of 2026, the e-CNY International Operations Center, which commenced operations in September 2025, has upgraded its three major platforms into the CBETS. CBETS provides on-chain and off-chain connectivity and 24/7 settlement, reducing reliance on three-to-five intermediary correspondent banks per transaction. The 26 aforementioned institutions include Standard Chartered China and Chinese bank branches in Thailand, Singapore, Laos, and Qatar. [SCIO]
#China#Payments#DFC#Fintech#Blockchain#DLT#PaymentSystems#CrossBorder
·english.scio.gov.cn·
26 Financial Institutions Sign On as direct participants with e-CNY Center International (SCIO)
e-CNY International Operation Center Officially Launched in Shanghai (PBOC)
e-CNY International Operation Center Officially Launched in Shanghai (PBOC)
[September 25, 2025] The People’s Bank of China (PBOC) formally launched the e‑CNY International Operation Center in Shanghai to provide dedicated infrastructure for cross‑border use of the digital renminbi, framed as part of a broader upgrade of monetary and payment systems. The center’s three core “business platforms” are a cross‑border digital payment platform, a blockchain service platform, and a digital asset platform, together supporting e‑CNY cross‑border settlement, asset tokenization, and related digital financial services. Institutionally, the PBOC's Digital Currency Institute will build and operate these systems, with a mandate to connect domestic and foreign financial infrastructures and support international operation of e‑CNY. [PBOC]
#China#CrossBorder#Payments#PaymentSystems#DFC#Fintech#DLT#Blockchain
·pbc.gov.cn·
e-CNY International Operation Center Officially Launched in Shanghai (PBOC)
Angolan Central Bank Explores CBDC Issuance (BNA)
Angolan Central Bank Explores CBDC Issuance (BNA)
[August 7, 2025] Banco Nacional de Angola (BNA) published a payments‑system vision paper that commits to preparing for, and then implementing, a central bank digital currency (CBDC) by 2028, subject to assessments of impacts on financial‑institution sustainability, as part of a broader modernization agenda. The paper frames CBDC as a tool to preserve central bank money’s role as system anchor, safeguard public access to central bank money, and increase efficiency and strategic autonomy, aligned with other innovations such as open banking and cross‑border instant payments. However, it offers no indication of retail versus wholesale scope, technological model, or required legal changes, leaving design and regulatory choices entirely open. [BNA]
#Angola#Fintech#CBDC#DFC#Africa
·bna.ao·
Angolan Central Bank Explores CBDC Issuance (BNA)