The global banking network SWIFT is setting the stage for a groundbreaking initiative that promises to integrate a burgeoning wave of central bank digital currencies (CBDCs) with the existing global financial infrastructure.
Planned to launch within the next 12 to 24 months, this new platform by SWIFT is poised to significantly impact the evolving CBDC ecosystem, aligning with the anticipated launch of major CBDCs worldwide.
SWIFT’s CBDC Trial Involving 38 Banks Yields Key Insights
Currently, about 90% of the world’s central banks are either developing or considering their digital currencies, a move driven by the rapid ascent of cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin and the complex technological challenges they entail. SWIFT’s head of innovation, Nick Kerigan, revealed insights from their latest trial, which spanned six months and engaged a diverse group of 38 central banks, commercial banks, and settlement platforms.
“We are looking at a roadmap to productize (launch as a product) in the next 12-24 months, It’s moving out of experimental stage towards something that is becoming a reality.” Kerigan stated.
This trial, one of the largest global collaborations on CBDCs to date, was pivotal in ensuring interoperability among various CBDCs, despite differing underlying technologies.
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The initiative demonstrated the potential for CBDCs in complex trade and foreign exchange transactions and highlighted the possibility of automating processes to enhance speed and reduce costs. The successful outcomes have provided SWIFT with a clear timeline for moving from experimental stages to reality, aiming to maintain its dominant role in the interbank communication network amidst significant shifts in the global financial landscape.
UAE and Philippines Forge Ahead with CBDC Initiatives
Parallel to SWIFT’s endeavors, the Central Bank of the United Arab Emirates (CBUAE) has commenced the implementation of its CBDC Strategy as part of its Financial Infrastructure Transformation (FIT) Programme. This strategy encompasses several pillars, including the soft launch of the mBridge project for real-value cross-border CBDC transactions and proof-of-concept work aimed at establishing CBDC bridges with key trading partners like India.
In the Philippines, the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) is also advancing its CBDC project, with plans to launch a digital currency within two years. Unlike other central banks, the BSP intends to develop a CBDC that operates independently of blockchain technology, leveraging the existing Peso Real Time Gross Settlement System.
This approach aims to enhance the efficiency, safety, and robustness of both domestic and international payment systems while complementing, rather than replacing, physical cash.
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These developments underscore a significant shift towards digital currencies by central banks around the globe, marking a new era in the digitization of financial systems and the potential for more streamlined, secure, and efficient global transactions.
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