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IBM announced that customers of its digital asset management platform IBM Digital Asset Haven can now connect to permissioned blockchain networks, including the blockchain-based shared ledger from Swift. A new beta version of the ISO 20022 message adapter allows financial institutions to initiate tokenized deposit transactions through this ledger using standard payment messages. IBM stated that financial institutions participating in Swift-related programs have tested tokenized deposits on this ledger using Digital Asset Haven. The ledger supports tokenized deposits issued by banks, enabling participating IBM clients to transfer digital assets around the clock, with final settlement still completed through existing systems.Swift first announced this ledger at Sibos 2025, based on a prototype developed in collaboration with Consensys, with over 40 financial institutions involved in its design, 17 of which are participating in the tokenized deposit pilot. Swift currently connects over 12,500 financial institutions across more than 200 markets worldwide. The aforementioned message adapter allows banks to continue using existing payment message formats and operational processes without adopting blockchain-specific workflows.IBM is also expanding Digital Asset Haven to a localized deployment beta version, which can be installed on IBM Z and IBM LinuxONE in the client's own data center for managing digital assets such as stablecoins and tokenized deposits, without relying on public cloud infrastructure. IBM stated that the platform and key management layer are fully retained within the client's own environment, with keys protected by IBM Crypto Express hardware security modules.

According to the Nikkei, SWIFT has launched a pilot project in collaboration with 17 banks including Citigroup, Mitsubishi UFJ, Wells Fargo, Bank of New York Mellon, UBS, and BNP Paribas to test tokenized deposit cross-border payments.The goal of this pilot is to achieve 24/7 instant transfers between different banks and reduce the cost of cross-border payments.

DBS and Citibank's New York office completed a cross-border payment in US dollars between Singapore and the United States on September 5 using tokenized deposits through the Swift Digital Ledger. The transaction was executed over the weekend and took only a few minutes, while traditional cross-border payments typically take up to two business days, allowing businesses to avoid losing time due to time zone differences and weekend gaps. This is the second confirmed real-time application of the ledger, following HSBC and Standard Chartered's completion of the first real-time tokenized deposit cross-border transaction in August. Swift announced the ledger's preliminary availability on July 9, with 17 banks ready to pilot it, and DBS is the only bank headquartered in Asia among the 12 core design group members. DBS Group Chief Operating Officer Rachel Chew stated that the Swift Digital Ledger is connecting traditional banking infrastructure with emerging digital networks to drive the practical application of tokenized currency from experimentation. Citibank's Head of South Asia Services Mridula Iyer noted that weekend real-time transactions prove that around-the-clock cross-border payments have become a reality. DBS will launch DBS Token Services in 2024, offering 24/7 programmable instant value transfer services.

According to Cointelegraph, digital asset infrastructure provider Taurus has integrated its tokenization and custody platform with Swift's blockchain-based ledger. Taurus stated in the announcement that its clients can make payments on this ledger using bank-issued tokenized deposits through the existing digital asset infrastructure.The first batch of client integrations is expected to go live in a few days, with the first distributed ledger transactions completed through the Taurus platform anticipated to occur within weeks. Swift announced in July this year that the ledger is available for preliminary use, with 17 banks from six continents preparing to pilot real-time transactions using tokenized deposits.Previously, Standard Chartered Bank and HSBC completed the first real-time cross-border transaction through this ledger, connecting their respective independent tokenized deposit systems. Swift's ledger acts as a coordinating layer, supporting 24/7 cross-border payments for tokenized deposits on participating banks' balance sheets and coordinating inter-institutional transfers through existing mechanisms (including real-time gross settlement systems) before final settlement.

On Wednesday local time, U.S. President Trump met with executives from cryptocurrency and fintech companies such as Coinbase, Ripple, Robinhood, Gemini, and Chainlink in the Roosevelt Room of the White House and delivered a speech in support of cryptocurrencies.Trump stated that his administration has "completely ended the war on cryptocurrencies," and the industry is thriving. The U.S. must maintain its "undisputed leadership" in areas such as Bitcoin, cryptocurrencies, prediction markets, and artificial intelligence, and is committed to becoming the "world capital of cryptocurrency."He mentioned that the U.S. government has discussed accumulating a "significant amount" of Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies, stating that cryptocurrencies "greatly alleviate the pressure on the dollar." At the same time, he urged Congress to pass a "fair version" of the Clarity Act, claiming this would allow the U.S. to lead over China and other countries.Trump also noted that the SEC chairman is working to bring Hyperliquid to the U.S. market in a compliant manner; and reviewed the policy achievements of the signed Genius Act (stablecoin legislation), strategic Bitcoin reserves, and the prohibition of CBDCs.

According to CoinDesk, HSBC and Standard Chartered have completed the first real-time tokenized deposit transaction on the Swift blockchain ledger. This transaction marks progress for traditional financial institutions in utilizing blockchain technology to handle tokenized deposits, with both parties achieving real-time transfer and settlement of deposit tokens through Swift's distributed ledger infrastructure.As a global interbank messaging and clearing network, Swift is promoting the application of its blockchain ledger in tokenized asset and deposit scenarios to enhance the efficiency of cross-border and inter-institutional funds. As major international banks, the collaboration between HSBC and Standard Chartered demonstrates the feasibility of tokenized deposits in practical business, helping to explore further integration of traditional finance and blockchain infrastructure.

Brian Armstrong posted on the X platform expressing appreciation for Paul S. Atkins and the SEC for their progress on token classification, calling it a long-awaited step towards modernizing the financial system. He stated that he has been advocating for clear cryptocurrency rules for years, and token classification is a necessary measure for the U.S. to maintain innovation.Brian Armstrong also expressed anticipation for the SEC to release the Innovation Exemption to promote on-chain trading of tokenized stocks. He mentioned that relevant progress is being made and that the CLARITY Act should be pushed through as soon as possible, moving the market on-chain before leading the way in other regions.

Ripple officially announced that Jeonbuk Bank has become the first local bank in South Korea to deploy Ripple Payments, providing its corporate clients with near real-time, 24/7 cross-border settlement services to replace the time-consuming SWIFT transfers. This collaboration will help the bank enhance its cross-border payment efficiency and service capabilities.This is Ripple's third partnership in South Korea this year, having previously collaborated with Kyobo Life Insurance and Kbank on custody, wallet infrastructure, and payment services. Several leading financial institutions in South Korea are continuing to advance cooperation with Ripple in the fields of payments and related infrastructure.

According to official news, Swift announced that its blockchain-based ledger is ready, and 17 banks from six continents are preparing to pilot the use of tokenized deposits for 24/7 cross-border payment trials.The ledger provides a secure orchestration layer for participating banks, supporting them in issuing tokenized deposits on their own ledgers, enabling around-the-clock fund movement before final settlement through existing systems. Participating banks include ANZ, BNP Paribas, BNY Mellon, Citibank, DBS Bank, First Abu Dhabi Bank, FirstRand Bank, HSBC, Itaú Unibanco, Lloyds Bank, Mashreq Bank, MUFG, OCBC Bank, Standard Chartered, UBS Group, UOB, and Wells Fargo.

According to Jinshi reports, Federal Reserve's Williams stated that if the Middle East war can be resolved quickly, it will help reduce inflationary pressures.

According to Kalshi's official statement, the music streaming weekly play volume prediction market allows users to trade on the rise and fall of weekly Spotify play volumes for artists such as Drake, Taylor Swift, Justin Bieber, and Bad Bunny.

According to Jinshi reports, Federal Reserve Governor Waller stated that a rapid resolution of the situation in the Middle East could allow the Federal Reserve to consider interest rate cuts later this year.

U.S. Senator Lummis stated on social media that the previous administration led to an outflow of the digital asset industry. She emphasized that now is the time to establish clear regulatory rules for the digital asset industry and welcome its return to the U.S., calling for the passage of the Clarity Act.

According to official news, SWIFT (Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunication) has announced significant progress in its blockchain-based shared ledger project, having completed the design phase with several global banks. It has now officially entered the construction phase of the first Minimum Viable Product (MVP) iteration and plans to launch real transactions within 2026.The ledger aims to achieve interoperability of tokenized deposits between banks and supports 24/7 cross-border payments. Functionally, the ledger supports executing payments using tokenized deposits, reuses existing compliance processes, and is compatible with various settlement methods.SWIFT stated that the core advantages of this ledger include: accelerating payment execution speed, enhancing liquidity visibility, reducing reconciliation workload, and achieving interoperability across institutions. Currently, SWIFT is simultaneously collaborating with banks internationally to accelerate the financial industry's transition to digital finance.

According to Prnewswire, the cross-border payment infrastructure company Thunes announced the extension of stablecoin settlement capabilities to 11,500 banks worldwide by connecting to the Swift network, achieving interoperability between the traditional financial system and digital assets.Businesses and financial institutions can settle stablecoin payments directly to bank accounts connected to Swift through Thunes' network, without the need for additional off-chain conversion processes. This solution aims to reduce friction costs in cross-border payments and enhance settlement efficiency.

According to Jinshi reports, U.S. Treasury Secretary Basent stated that he does not expect the Federal Reserve to take swift action on the balance sheet issue. He believes that Waller will be very independent.

According to The Block, Patrick Witt, the Executive Director of the U.S. Presidential Advisory Committee on Digital Assets, stated that the market structure bill should be pushed through as soon as possible under the current crypto-friendly atmosphere of the Trump administration. He pointed out that although the draft still has controversies, including restrictions on DeFi privacy, stablecoin yields, and tokenized securities, "compromise is necessary."Previously, Coinbase had withdrawn its support for the bill draft due to related wording. Witt emphasized that rather than waiting for a potentially harsher Democratic version in the future, it is better to seize the current legislative opportunity. The Senate Agriculture Committee will review the bill on January 27.

According to the official announcement, Binance has announced that starting today, the fee for USD withdrawals via SWIFT bank transfer has been reduced from $60 per transaction to $25, applicable to both retail and corporate users. USD SWIFT deposits remain free.

The official Binance interface shows that Binance now supports users to withdraw US dollars (USD) directly via bank transfer (SWIFT), a service provided by BPay, which takes 0-5 business days to complete the transfer.It is reported that BPay Global is one of Binance's entities in Bahrain, established in April 2025 as a subsidiary of Binance's payment services and has obtained a CBB payment service provider (PSP) license.