Chainlink connects banks to Swift blockchain ledger

Chainlink has announced a new connection framework for financial institutions to access Swift’s blockchain ledger while keeping control of their transaction-signing keys.

Chainlink said on Sept. 28 that banks would be able to connect their existing systems and key infrastructure to the Swift ledger through its platform, with the Chainlink Runtime Environment, or CRE, handling workflows between institutional systems and the shared ledger.

The arrangement centers on a self-signing model. Financial institutions keep the keys used to authorize transactions, while CRE coordinates the workflow needed to read from and write to Swift’s ledger. Chainlink said the structure lets institutions preserve existing approval procedures, security controls and operating models while adopting tokenized payment services.

Banks can use the connection to manage smart-contract activity across their own tokenized-deposit ledgers and Swift’s blockchain infrastructure. The deposits remain on bank-owned ledgers, while Swift coordinates payment commitments between participating institutions before final settlement.

Chainlink gives banks controlled access to Swift’s ledger

Under the announced framework, CRE sits between a financial institution’s infrastructure and the Swift ledger without taking control of the institution’s authorization keys. Chainlink describes CRE as the workflow layer responsible for coordinating interactions while each bank signs its own transactions.

The model gives banks a route into Swift’s blockchain system without requiring them to transfer signing authority to Chainlink. Institutions can continue using their internal governance and approval processes when authorizing transactions, according to the company.

Sergey Nazarov, CEO of Chainlink Labs, said the company was “thrilled to be supporting the Swift ledger” as banks seek technology for tokenized deposits and ledger connectivity. Chainlink did not provide a timetable for individual banks to adopt its connection framework or identify which of Swift’s pilot banks will use CRE first.

The latest work extends a relationship between Chainlink and Swift that has covered institutional blockchain interoperability for several years. Previous work examined how financial institutions could use existing Swift infrastructure alongside blockchain networks, including experiments involving tokenized assets and cross-chain communication.

Swift itself remains the operator of the new ledger. Its March implementation update said banks would run their own environments and retain authority over their keys, assets and funding. Settlement remains available through real-time gross settlement systems, correspondent banking arrangements or other mechanisms agreed between participants.

Swift blockchain ledger uses tokenized bank deposits

Swift’s ledger is designed to coordinate 24/7 cross-border payments using tokenized commercial-bank deposits.

The tokens represent deposits that remain on each issuing bank’s balance sheet and ledger. Swift’s shared system records and validates payment commitments between institutions, allowing transactions to progress outside normal banking hours while leaving final settlement on existing financial infrastructure.

Swift has stressed that the blockchain ledger does not replace its role as a global financial messaging network. Payment orchestration occurs before settlement, while the transfer of final funds continues through agreed settlement systems. Chainlink repeated the same distinction in its Sept. 28 announcement.

As crypto.news previously reported, Swift’s first ledger deployment uses tokenized deposits issued by banks instead of a public cryptocurrency bridge asset. The model keeps the represented money within commercial-bank balance sheets.

In related coverage, crypto.news explained that tokenized deposits remain claims on the issuing commercial bank while being represented digitally on blockchain infrastructure.

Swift disclosed in March that the ledger’s first iteration uses an Ethereum Virtual Machine-compatible architecture based on Hyperledger Besu, an open-source enterprise blockchain platform. Swift operates the ledger and coordinates interbank processes, including validation of funding commitments.

17 banks are preparing initial Swift ledger pilots

Swift said in July that 17 banks from six continents were preparing initial live transactions using tokenized deposits after the ledger moved from concept to activation in nine months.

The initial group includes ANZ, BNP Paribas, BNY, Citi, DBS, First Abu Dhabi Bank, FirstRand Bank, HSBC, Itaú Unibanco, Lloyds Bank, Mashreq, MUFG Bank, OCBC, Standard Chartered, UBS, UOB and Wells Fargo.

Those pilots are intended to test payments that can operate overnight and during weekends before completing final settlement through existing systems. Swift said institutions from more than 40 financial firms contributed to the ledger’s design during its development.

HSBC has said it plans to connect its Tokenised Deposit Service to the shared infrastructure. Standard Chartered, UBS and UOB have separately described their participation as work focused on tokenized payments, interoperability and round-the-clock money movement.

Swift reported in July that its existing network already connects more than 11,500 financial institutions and corporates across more than 200 markets. The cooperative said its infrastructure moves an amount equivalent to world GDP roughly every two to three days.

Chainlink’s new access layer does not mean every institution on the Swift network is moving onto the blockchain ledger. The Sept. 28 release describes a connection option for institutions seeking access, while Swift’s controlled rollout currently centers on its initial participating banks.

Swift plans to expand ledger use after controlled rollout

Swift said its blockchain ledger was ready for initial use in July and that functionality and availability would expand after the controlled launch phase. The first participating institutions are preparing live tokenized-deposit transactions across several use cases.

Earlier implementation documents identified corporate and treasury payments as an initial focus. Swift said the system could eventually support programmable corporate payment flows, payment-versus-payment foreign exchange processes and cash movements associated with securities transactions.

The platform has moved quickly since Swift announced the project at Sibos in September 2025. The original project involved more than 30 financial institutions and Consensys during work on the ledger prototype. By March 2026, Swift had completed the design stage and moved into MVP implementation, with more than 40 institutions contributing to the project.

Swift said the initial MVP would let participating banks conduct live transactions using tokenized deposits around the clock while maintaining a synchronized record of obligations as transactions progress. The environment gives banks a place to test payment workflows while using existing compliance processes and settlement arrangements.

Its July update moved the project into initial-use status, with the 17 institutions preparing live pilots. Swift said the ledger would expand in functionality and availability after the controlled go-live phase as participating banks put tokenized-deposit transactions into operation.