ECB launches Pontes to bridge tokenized asset markets with Eurosystem payment infrastructure
Summary
The ECB launched Pontes, a platform allowing eligible financial institutions to settle tokenized-asset transactions in central-bank money. It connects distributed-ledger platforms to the Eurosystem’s TARGET Services, offering an alternative to stablecoins and tokenized commercial-bank deposits for the cash leg of trades. Pontes will develop in stages alongside the ECB’s broader wholesale-tokenization initiative, Appia. It is separate from the retail digital euro, whose pilot is planned for the second half of next year and could precede issuance in 2029.
