SWIFT expands into digital currency space

SWIFT’s new trials will focus on transactions using digital currencies and tokenised assets across multiple platforms.

SWIFT will trial live digital currency and tokenised asset transactions next year to boost integration into the global financial system.

Global financial messaging service SWIFT will trial live transactions of tokenised assets and digital currencies in 2024, aiming to accelerate their integration into the financial system. Tokenisation, which transforms traditional assets like bonds into digital units, promises faster, cheaper, and more efficient trading by cutting out intermediaries.

Despite high expectations, tokenisation and digital currencies have yet to achieve widespread adoption. Around 90% of central banks are experimenting with digital currencies, hoping to modernise trade and payments in the evolving cryptocurrency landscape. SWIFT has already tested Central Bank Digital Currencies (CBDCs) and plans to connect them with existing financial infrastructure.

SWIFT’s head of innovation, Nick Kerigan, stated that demand is growing for real-world digital asset transactions where payment in real money happens simultaneously. However, market fragmentation has limited progress, with most initiatives still confined to banks’ internal systems.

The latest SWIFT trials will involve trading various digital assets across multiple platforms. Kerigan emphasised the need for both delivery and payment in tokenised transactions, highlighting the role of wholesale CBDCs and tokenised deposits in making this possible.