ECB Unveils Pontes, Gateway for Tokenized Asset Settlement

The European Central Bank (ECB) has launched Pontes, a new gateway for tokenized asset settlement. This platform connects private blockchain networks with the TARGET system, which is the Eurosystem's payment backbone.

Pontes will allow qualified financial entities to settle tokenized securities using central bank money, providing a credible settlement option beyond stablecoins and tokenized bank deposits.

The ECB emphasizes that this infrastructure will maintain central bank money as the foundation of European wholesale finance during the transition toward distributed-ledger-based assets.