ECB’s Cipollone invites banks into tokenised finance work
Piero Cipollone said the Eurosystem’s Pontes settlement service is live and outlined ways banks can help shape the Appia initiative and its standards for tokenised finance.
Event / data period: 2026-10-21
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European Central Bank Executive Board member Piero Cipollone said euro central bank money settlement for distributed-ledger transactions is available through Pontes, launched on 21 September. In a presentation to the Italian Banking Association on 21 October, he also noted that since March 2026 certain distributed-ledger assets issued in central securities depositories can be mobilised as eligible collateral in Eurosystem credit operations.
Cipollone described Appia as a channel for developing an integrated tokenised-finance ecosystem with market participants. The ECB presentation names an Appia Contact Group, joint work on European standards, public consultations and focus sessions as engagement routes. From 2027, market participants are to be invited into practical work and joint design of an Appia blueprint that the presentation says is due by 2028. These are programme plans and expected benefits, not measured outcomes.
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Cipollone presentation to Italian Banking Association
The ECB Executive Board member outlined the status of Pontes and planned stakeholder involvement in Appia.
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- Economy, business and financeSuggested
- Preserved editorial category/topic; broad candidate onlywww.ecb.europa.eu ↗