The European Central Bank (ECB) has approved a dual-track initiative aimed at integrating distributed ledger technology (DLT) into the eurozone’s financial infrastructure, marking a significant step toward modernizing settlement processes with central bank money. The short-term track, named Pontes, will serve as a bridge between blockchain-based DLT platforms and the Eurosystem’s TARGET Services, which facilitate payment and securities transactions across the eurozone. A pilot program for Pontes is scheduled to launch by the end of the third quarter of 2026. This initiative builds on insights from the ECB’s 2024 ... (full story)