ECB launches Pontes to settle blockchain transactions in central bank money

The European Central Bank has launched Pontes to settle blockchain based wholesale transactions in central bank money while preparing to invest part of its €23 billion own funds portfolio in digital securities.

According to the European Central Bank, the new service connects distributed ledger technology platforms used by financial market participants with the Eurosystem’s TARGET Services, allowing transactions involving tokenized assets to settle in central bank euros.

Deutsche Bank, Santander and securities clearing group Clearstream are among the first institutions to complete onboarding and gain access to the platform. Pontes will initially operate between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. CET on business days, with the ECB planning to extend its operating hours and functions over time.

The launch puts into operation a project that the central bank has been developing as financial institutions experiment with issuing, trading and settling securities through distributed ledgers. Unlike settlement through privately issued stablecoins or other forms of commercial money, Pontes gives participating institutions access to central bank money for the cash side of blockchain based transactions.

crypto.news previously reported in March that the ECB viewed central bank money as a settlement anchor for tokenized securities, deposits and stablecoins. Executive Board member Piero Cipollone said at the time that sellers of tokenized securities could otherwise receive assets exposed to price volatility or credit risk.

Pontes brings central bank euros to blockchain markets

Pontes is designed to link market DLT platforms with the Eurosystem’s existing TARGET infrastructure instead of requiring securities transactions to move entirely onto a single blockchain network.

At launch, legal settlement finality for the cash side remains anchored in the Eurosystem’s TARGET2 system. The ECB has said later versions are expected to bring settlement finality onto a Eurosystem operated DLT platform and introduce smart contract functionality.

The central bank said blockchain technology could make financial transactions faster and more efficient by combining several stages of an asset’s lifecycle and allowing some processes to be automated.

Pontes builds on earlier Eurosystem experiments with wholesale central bank money settlement. Those tests examined ways for transactions recorded on distributed ledgers to settle against central bank funds while retaining the settlement protections used in conventional financial infrastructure.

The service is expected to expand after its initial rollout. ECB plans published before launch called for operating hours to eventually reach 22.5 hours per business day, followed by round the clock availability and expanded programmability from mid 2028.

Work on the platform runs alongside Appia, the ECB’s longer term program for developing an integrated European tokenized financial system. In August, the Eurosystem selected 61 financial market participants and public institutions for an Appia contact group that will provide input on Pontes and the architecture of tokenized markets.

European financial institutions have been building their own infrastructure in parallel. Boerse Stuttgart’s Seturion network expanded its settlement network in May by adding Societe Generale, SG FORGE and flatexDEGIRO, with the platform designed to handle tokenized securities across public and private blockchains.

ECB plans investments in blockchain based bonds

The ECB is taking a separate step as an investor by preparing to allocate a small portion of its €23 billion own funds portfolio to blockchain based securities.

Investments will initially focus on highly rated euro denominated debt issued by public institutions, keeping the exposure within the type of assets used for the central bank’s own portfolio while changing the technology through which the securities are issued.

No amount has been disclosed for the planned allocation, although the ECB described it as a tiny portion of its own funds.

The decision follows changes to the Eurosystem collateral framework earlier this year. From March 30, marketable securities issued through DLT based services at central securities depositories became eligible as collateral for Eurosystem credit operations when they meet existing eligibility and settlement requirements.

The tokenized collateral framework applies the same underlying collateral requirements used for conventional marketable assets, including eligibility checks and applicable haircuts. The Eurosystem has continued studying whether assets issued and settled entirely through DLT networks could qualify in the future.

ECB Executive Board member Isabel Schnabel called for central banks to “go on-chain” in August, arguing that public institutions should participate directly as tokenization develops in wholesale finance.

She said tokenization could combine transaction stages and allow programmable conditions to operate across the lifecycle of a financial instrument. The ECB has identified atomic settlement and programmability among the potential benefits, while noting that conventional European settlement infrastructure already provides some comparable functions.

European central banks expand tokenization work

The ECB’s launch comes as central banks and major financial institutions test different models for bringing traditional securities and money onto distributed ledgers.

Switzerland has used Project Helvetia to explore settlement of tokenized securities with wholesale central bank digital currency. The Bank of England has pursued similar work through its Digital Securities Sandbox, where firms can test DLT based trading and settlement under a regulated framework.

Private financial institutions have moved into the same market. Broadridge processed trillions of dollars through its blockchain based repo platform in July, while European institutions have tested tokenized government bonds, structured securities and other financial instruments across several distributed ledger networks.

For the ECB, wholesale tokenization remains separate from its work on a digital euro intended for consumers.

The central bank is preparing a 12 month retail digital euro pilot for the second half of 2027, involving merchants, national central banks, banks and payment service providers. An invitation issued this month asked ecommerce and mobile commerce businesses across the euro area to participate in digital euro payment tests.

The pilot currency will not be legal tender and will operate within a controlled testing environment. Tests are expected to cover online, mobile, in store and person to person payments as the ECB evaluates the technology and operating processes needed for a potential retail system.

The ECB is targeting readiness for possible issuance of the digital euro in 2029, subject to the necessary European Union legislation and a separate decision by its Governing Council. The project is intended to provide a public digital payment option alongside cash and bank deposits while reducing Europe’s dependence on foreign payment providers.