Several U.S. regional banks are adopting ZKsync for next-generation settlement and joining as design partners in a tokenized deposit settlement network built for regulated banking. The move targets a long-running mismatch in finance: regulators want control over participant data and governance, while digital markets demand instant, 24/7 settlement.
The pressure is already visible. Stablecoin volume reached $5.7 trillion in 2024, and analysis cited from the U.S. Treasury said the trend could pull as much as $6.6 trillion from the banking sector. For mid-sized lenders that rely heavily on deposit retention, that is a direct funding challenge rather than a distant market shift.
Why banks are pairing Prividium with ZKsync
Older modernization models came with trade-offs. Permissioned chains preserved internal oversight but lacked connectivity. Public blockchains offered open access, but sensitive information could end up on public ledgers. Shared protocols also introduced third-party intermediaries, adding trust assumptions that do not fit high-stakes financial networks. The article says participants are now leaning on zero-knowledge proofs to validate transactions without exposing the underlying details.
Prividium’s structure lets each bank run its own chain and set governance and compliance rules internally, while all settlement proof is posted to Ethereum. That removes the need for a central operator overseeing the process. Institutional autonomy stays in place, and network consensus rests on verifiable cryptography instead of contractual trust between parties.
Cari Network frames the model around regulated banking
Cari Network describes itself as an infrastructure initiative for tokenized deposit settlement designed for regulated banks. It is led by founder Eugene Ludwig, identified in the article as the 27th U.S. Comptroller of the Currency. That background gives the project a clear regulatory orientation in both architecture and priorities.
Alex Gluchowski said, “Regulated finance is moving to ZKsync.” The article links that statement to a broader choice by five regional lenders: rather than building around closed proprietary systems, they are connecting directly to public infrastructure. In that model, settlement assurance comes from mathematical validity, not centralized influence.
Deposit pressure and compliance needs are converging
The adoption of ZKsync and Prividium is presented as a response to two forces at once: competition from digital assets and a rising need for privacy-preserving, verifiable settlement. As regional banks face shrinking deposit bases and tighter oversight, programmable networks anchored in cryptographic guarantees are being positioned as part of the sector’s digital transition.