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ECB Bridges to Blockchain: New Service Links Payment System to Digital Markets
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CNBC TV18•21-09-2026, 16:48
ECB Bridges to Blockchain: New Service Links Payment System to Digital Markets
- •The European Central Bank (ECB) launched Pontes, a new service linking its payment system to blockchain-based financial markets, allowing euro-backed settlement of blockchain transactions.
- •Pontes enables banks and investors to settle blockchain-based transactions using euros backed by the ECB, rather than stablecoins or other private money.
- •Initial users, including Deutsche Bank, Santander, and Clearstream, have completed onboarding and can use Pontes, which operates on business days from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. CET.
- •The ECB will also invest a small portion of its €23 billion own funds in highly-rated, euro-denominated blockchain-based securities issued by public institutions.
- •This move reflects a broader central bank effort to adapt to blockchain, with other initiatives like Project Helvetia by the Swiss National Bank and the Bank of England's Digital Securities Sandbox.
Key Questions Answered
The Pontes service is a new platform launched by the European Central Bank that links its payment system to blockchain-based financial markets, allowing banks and investors to settle blockchain transactions using euros backed by the ECB.
A first group of users including Deutsche Bank, Santander, and clearing giant Clearstream have completed onboarding and are able to use the Pontes platform from the start.
The ECB is working on a digital euro for consumers, partly to wean the bloc off US credit cards, and aims to launch it in 2029.
