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The Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunication (SWIFT) has confirmed a collaboration with Ethereum (CRYPTO: $ETH ) ecosystem developer Consensys to develop a blockchain-based settlement platform. The initiative includes over 30 global financial institutions such as JPMorgan (NYSE: $JPM ), HSBC, Deutsche Bank, MUFG, and BNP Paribas.

The first goal of the platform is to enable real-time cross-border payments that work 24/7. It will also give interoperability to older systems and newer blockchain networks while maintaining compliance. Consensys will be in charge of the conceptual prototype in the opening phase and will define future development stages.

Swift said the ledger will expand its interbank communication function into a digital one, enabling it to handle tokenized assets as decided by central and commercial banks to delineate the asset categories.

"The ledger will extend SWIFT's financial communication role into a digital environment, facilitating banks' movement of regulated tokenized value across digital ecosystems," SWIFT noted.

A Digital Backbone for Financial Transactions

Swift currently connects more than 200 nations and over 11,500 institutions, moving most of the world's cross-border payments. While the network does not transfer funds directly, it minimizes errors and fraud risk by securely communicating with banks. This is so essential that exclusion from the system separates a country or institution from world finance.

The new %Blockchain ledger is designed to give a secure record of transactions validated and ordered in real time. According to Swift, smart contracts will help bring transaction rules to participants and increase efficiency and compliance standards.

The move follows a growing awareness of the importance of blockchain as a key tool in modernising finance. A Citi report predicted that stablecoins could reach $4 trillion in circulation by 2030, processing $100 trillion in trade per year. With almost 90% of central banks considering digital currencies, Swift's move into the blockchain space fits in with a wider industry shift.

Previous Blockchain Engagements by Swift

The organization has already experimented with using blockchain. In March 2024, Swift made it clear that it recognizes the importance of tokenization and shared ledgers, and it highlighted its messaging layer as a complementary element.

By November 2024, it successfully connected tokenized fund processes with fiat systems with UBS Asset Management and Chainlink during Project Guardian in Singapore. Swift also announced late last year that institutions across North America, Europe, and Asia will test their digital asset operations on its network.

Financial institutions involved in the new project include Santander and OCBC, in addition to a host of Middle Eastern and African banks. The system is designed to offer resilience, compliance, and scalability to a market wherein digital currencies, tokenized assets, and blockchain platforms are gaining more influence. While U.S. President Donald Trump's son Eric Trump called Swift "antiquated," the organization is trying to evolve itself by incorporating blockchain into its backbone.