The Bank of England, the Bank of Thailand, and the Monetary Authority of Singapore are collaborating to examine the technical and policy implications of settling foreign exchange transactions using synchronized mechanisms across borders. The initiative will test synchronized FX settlement across a range of technical and institutional environments, building on insights from Project Meridian FX.
Project Meridian, led by the BIS Innovation Hub in London with five European central banks, explored synchronization as a solution to cross-border interoperability challenges. The current collaboration will use simulated versions of the participating central banks’ real-time gross settlement systems alongside multiple settlement environments based on distributed ledger technology. This combination will test interoperability between central bank systems and multilateral use cases involving different types of settlement infrastructure.
The experiment aims to enable atomic, real-time FX transactions that are secure, fast, and interoperable across diverse systems. It will also examine the potential application of synchronized settlement in multi-jurisdiction Payment versus Payment FX transactions. No timeline for completion or implementation has been announced.
Thammarak Moenjak, senior director of the digital currency policy and development unit at the Bank of Thailand, said the collaboration will enhance FX PvP efficiency and support cross-border Delivery versus Payment use cases while providing insights into different technical systems, operating models, and regulatory frameworks. Tom Mutton, director of fintech at the Bank of England, noted that the project explores how synchronization solutions may support an open and effective global financial system by creating a new FX settlement channel.
The collaboration reflects ongoing central bank efforts to improve the efficiency, safety, and interoperability of cross-border financial infrastructure.
(Source: FinTech Futures)
