SWIFT
Updated
What it is
Swift is the messaging network banks use to send international payment instructions. It is a member-owned cooperative, founded in 1973 and based in Belgium, connecting more than 11,000 financial institutions. It moves instructions, not money.
Why it matters lately
Swift is adding a blockchain to its core infrastructure. It announced a shared ledger on September 29, 2025, built with a Consensys prototype, and on July 9, 2026 it went live with a pilot in which 17 banks on six continents move tokenized deposits around the clock, including weekends. On September 28, 2026 Chainlink announced tooling for banks to connect to the ledger.
Asymmetric Analytics view
Inference (AA): It is the incumbent cross-border network, so its ledger is a direct reference point for payment rails such as the XRP Ledger and Stellar.