ECB Launches Pontes System to Enable On-Chain Central Bank Money Settlement

The European Central Bank (ECB) has officially launched the Pontes system, a DLT-based infrastructure that allows financial institutions to settle tokenized assets using central bank money (CBM). By providing a risk-free settlement asset, the system aims to reduce reliance on private stablecoins for RWA transactions. The project is expected to be fully operational by 2028, complementing the Eurosystem's Appia project, which focuses on broader DLT financial service integration.