SWIFT confirmed its blockchain-based shared ledger is ready for initial use, enabling 17 banks across six continents to pilot real-time cross-border settlements with tokenized deposits while final settlement runs through existing systems.

Singapore Exchange and six major banks are building an OTC gold clearing system targeted for completion by end-2026, alongside central bank vaulting, tokenized gold access, and expanded tax incentives.

Crossmint's Lobster.cash adds Mastercard Agent Pay and Verifiable Intent for Openclaw's 1M+ AI agents. Each transaction goes through Mastercard network with cryptographic user authorization records.

SWIFT said its blockchain-based ledger has reached the minimum viable product stage and is set to enter an initial pilot, with 17 banks from six continents preparing to use tokenized deposits for real 24/7 cross-border payments. The rollout comes nine months after the project was first introduced at Sibos in September last year. The pilot group includes ANZ, BNP Paribas, BNY Mellon, Citi, DBS, First Abu Dhabi Bank, FirstRand, HSBC, Itaú Unibanco, Lloyds, Mashreq, Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group, OCBC, Standard Chartered, UBS, UOB and Wells Fargo. SWIFT said more than 40 institutions joined the early design phase before the field narrowed to the current participants. The ledger is built on Hyperledger Besu, an enterprise private-chain framework led by the Linux Foundation and compatible with the Ethereum Virtual Machine. It runs as a permissioned network where banks keep control of their private keys and custody arrangements. SWIFT acts as a coordination layer that records and verifies payment commitments in real time, while final settlement stays within existing systems and messaging follows ISO 20022. The report also noted that the ledger is designed to support interoperability with CBDCs, stablecoins and other tokenized assets.

U.S. Treasury yields surged, with the 2-year yield jumping 1.9% toward 4% (highest since July 2025) and the 30-year yield rising 1% near 5%. Markets eye inflation fears and Fed policy, as long-term debt investment opportunities emerge.

AI-native platform Derivio raised $6 million from YZiLabs, CMT Digital, and others to develop agentic trading infrastructure. The funds will enable AI agents to process high-speed market and on-chain data, automating strategy execution and improving decision-making for crypto traders.

Crossmint said Lobster.cash will integrate Mastercard Agent Pay and Verifiable Intent, enabling AI agents to make purchases through users’ existing Mastercard accounts with issuer oversight, explicit authorization records, and tighter spending controls.

Ripple has joined the Monetary Authority of Singapore's BLOOM initiative, integrating XRP Ledger (XRPL) and RLUSD stablecoin into programmable settlement models. A pilot with supply chain finance firm Unloq will test conditional payment execution for trade finance, accelerating institutional adoption of tokenized bank liabilities and regulated stablecoins.