European Central Bank Unveils Pontes, Tokenized Transaction Settlement Tool

The European Central Bank has launched Pontes, a tool for settling tokenized transactions using central bank money. This system underwent Eurosystem tests in 2024 with approximately €1.6 billion over 50 trials.

Pontes will gradually increase its features and hours of operation, aiming to be fully implemented by 2028. The ECB's launch marks a significant step towards connecting tokenized markets to central bank money.

Banks like Deutsche Bank, Santander, and Société Générale, as well as market infrastructures like Clearstream and SWIAT, are among the initial participants in Pontes' rollout.