Faster payments, smarter standards and Swift’s blockchain-based shared ledger: The road ahead for global finance
This month, Swift took to the global stage. Let’s dive in.
Faster payments, smarter standards and Swift’s blockchain-based shared ledger: The road ahead for global finance
March 2026 edition | Read time: 8 minutes
Highlights
No hidden fees, faster payments and 24/7 execution: Advancing cross-border transactions
From design to MVP implementation
Alongside a group of leading banks from around the world, we’re moving our blockchain-based ledger from design to MVP implementation, with live transactions planned for 2026.
Focused on corporate and treasury flows, the ledger introduces a shared orchestration layer that validates and synchronises interbank payment commitments using tokenised deposits - ensuring funds are available before execution and enabling 24/7 cross-border payments. It is being built on open-source foundations, using an Ethereum Virtual Machine (EVM)-compatible architecture based on Hyperledger Besu. The MVP builds on existing bank payment applications and Swift standards.
Swift will operate the ledger, while banks retain control of assets and funding, and settlement remains off-ledger via existing infrastructures. The result: faster execution, improved liquidity visibility and seamless interoperability at scale.
Transforming retail payments
Many banks globally have signed up to our payments scheme, designed to introduce a framework that will transform consumer payments. More than 25 institutions are on track for implementation by June. To support this progress, a first edition of the Rulebook has been published, setting out the rules and standards that underpin the scheme. Learn what has been made in 2026 or access the scheme Rulebook to understand the requirements for joining the transformation.
Prepare for the next ISO 20022 milestone
Start preparing for the next milestone. Unstructured postal addresses will be removed in November 2026, meaning payments must use structured data such as town and country. This improves automation, compliance and transparency, but requires banks and corporates to update their systems, data and client processes to avoid disruption.
Hear from BNP Paribas, Intesa Sanpaolo and SG Forge
From trial to infrastructure, demonstrating how tokenised assets can be settled across blockchains and traditional rails. Read more.
Hear from State Street
How standardised data is improving KYC, reducing manual intervention and boosting straight-through processing at scale. Watch now.
Swift Connect Africa 2026
Registration is now open – join us from 1-3 June in Cape Town to explore instant cross-border payments, liquidity hubs and the future of correspondent banking. Discover the full programme and secure your spot today.
Leadership insights
Leading the transition to a more connected financial ecosystem
Across recent global forums, including the EIB Group Forum in Luxembourg, Finovate Europe and the FSB Cross-border Payments Summit, Swift leaders have shared a consistent message: the future of finance will be shaped by interoperability, collaboration and the ability to scale innovation.
At the EIB Group Forum, Javier Pérez-Tasso joined public and private sector leaders to explore how digital finance is reshaping savings and investment in Europe. He highlighted the importance of initiatives like the Savings and Investment Union in strengthening competitiveness and growth, while emphasising that Europe’s success will depend on open, interoperable financial infrastructure that connects seamlessly with global markets. During the visit, discussions with EIB President Nadia Calviño reinforced the role Swift can play in supporting digital assets, tokenisation and cross-border investor connectivity.
This focus on interoperability is closely linked to Swift’s broader innovation strategy. Speaking at Finovate, Nick Kerigan, Head of Innovation and Managing Director, outlined how Swift is enhancing today’s customer experience through its payments scheme, while simultaneously building the rails of the future by integrating a blockchain-based ledger into its infrastructure. As tokenisation continues to accelerate, he emphasised Swift’s role in enabling it to scale securely and efficiently across the global financial ecosystem.
At the FSB Cross-border Payments Summit, the FSB kicked off a new implementation phase to enhance cross-border payments through public-private partnership, with Javier joining global leaders to reflect on progress under the G20 roadmap and discuss how to move it forward. Today, 75% of payments travelling over the Swift network reach beneficiary financial institutions within 10 minutes, with many arriving in just seconds.
Together, these engagements reflect a clear direction: Swift is not only improving the performance of today’s financial rails but also laying the foundations of the new rails to enable a more connected, innovative and future-ready global infrastructure.
In case you missed it
Sibos 2026 is coming to Miami
Registration is now open for our flagship event in Miami, taking place from 28 September to 1 October. Join global leaders as we explore this year’s theme – Digital Finance for AI-driven Economies. Secure your place today.
Did you know?
Payments in 80% of markets are faster than they were in 2023
Our industry continues to make progress, with a typical transaction moving almost 20% faster than 2023.
Upcoming events
April – Join the Customer Security Programme (CSP) refresher webinar for the latest news, updates and highlights of the key changes introduced in the Customer Security Controls Framework (CSCF) v2026 and KYC-SA application. Register now.
20 April – This session introduces Swift’s Transaction Screening Service (TSS), a fully managed service that screens financial messages against sanctions lists and flags suspicious activity in real time. Register now.
21 April – This session introduces Swift’s KYC Registry, a secure service for exchanging and maintaining standardized KYC data to support compliance and trusted relationships. Register now.
23 April – This session introduces Swift’s Payment Controls Service (PCS), a securely hosted service within the Swift network that helps financial institutions detect anomalous payment activity and apply controls in real time during payment execution. Register now.