Swift launches blockchain ledger pilot with 17 global banks

Swift announced that a blockchain‑based ledger is now live for real‑time payments, with seventeen banks from six continents—including ANZ, BNP Paribas, Citi, HSBC, UBS and Wells Fargo—testing tokenised deposit transactions on an EVM‑compatible Hyperledger Besu platform. The pilot is a controlled rollout that records and validates payment commitments while keeping the tokenised funds within the regulated banking system.

Separately, Mastercard’s ongoing collaboration with Ripple has been highlighted as a driver of renewed discussion about XRP adoption. Analysts note that Ripple’s involvement in Mastercard’s tokenisation and central‑bank‑digital‑currency programs could influence cross‑border payment flows, especially in corridors such as the United States‑Brazil corridor, though no concrete plan for an XRP‑backed stablecoin has been confirmed.