ECB Launches Pontes to Bring Central Bank Money to Tokenized Finance
ECB launches Pontes for wholesale tokenized asset settlements using central bank money, supporting Europes growing digital financial infrastructure through 2028. The ECB launched Pontes on September 21, 2026, enabling wholesale tokenized asset transactions using central bank money. The new system connects tokenized finance with established Eurosystem settlement infrastructure. As a result, banks are able to utilize central bank money in eligible tokenized transactions. Pontes is the Eurosystems first effort in tokenized finance. The project adapts central bank money for increasingly digital financial markets. How ECBs Pontes Will Support Tokenized Asset Settlements Tokenization is the process of turning assets into digital tokens, typically through the use of distributed ledger technology. These networks can facilitate quicker trading, settlement, custody, and other financial processes. Related reading:Stable.com Partners With Polygon for Direct Bank Stablecoin Transfers | Live Bitcoin News Discover more Bitcoin mining hardware Blockchain development tools Access Premium News Furthermore, smart contracts can streamline some of these processes. This may enable financial institutions to integrate multiple phases of an assets life cycle more effectively. Pontes expands on the Eurosystem 2024 tests. Those tests looked at the potential of using distributed ledger technology to facilitate settlement with central bank money. The ECB stated that the participants believed access to a settlement asset without risk to be









