Imagine being able to send money to the other side of the world as quickly as an instant message. That’s exactly what’s happening in the banking world. On September 29, 2025, Swift, the organization that manages international payments between banks, announced news that could change everything: the integration of blockchain into its global infrastructure.
Understanding the revolution underway
Today, when you send money abroad, the transaction can take several days. Why? Because your money passes through several intermediaries, each of which verifies and records the transaction at its own pace.
Blockchain radically changes this approach. This technology allows all parties to consult a common, secure ledger, eliminating redundant checks. As a result, what used to take days now takes only a few minutes.
“We are going to add a blockchain-based ledger to our technology infrastructure to enable the secure movement of tokenized assets,” explains Javier Pérez-Tasso, CEO of Swift. Developed with Consensys and more than 30 financial institutions, this platform will enable real-time cross-border payments, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
JPMorgan Chase and HSBC lead the way
JPMorgan Chase, the American bank that is a pioneer in this field, has been using its own blockchain platform called Kinexys (formerly Onyx) since 2020. In practical terms, this allows customers to make instant payments in dollars, euros, and pounds sterling, 24 hours a day, even on weekends.
The case of HSBC illustrates another revolutionary aspect of blockchain: the simplification of international trade. Previously, when a company imported goods, it had to go through a letter of credit, a complex process involving numerous paper documents and taking between 5 and 10 days. Thanks to its Contour platform, based on the Corda blockchain, HSBC has reduced this time to less than 24 hours by allowing all parties (exporter, importer, banks, customs) to view and validate documents simultaneously on a shared ledger.
European giants join the fray
Goldman Sachs has adopted an ambitious strategy: to transform its GS DAP blockchain platform into an independent entity within 12 to 18 months. The goal? To enable other financial institutions to use it. “We want blockchain to be adopted across the entire industry,” says Mathew McDermott, the bank’s global head of digital assets.
In France, BNP Paribas reached a symbolic milestone in May 2025 by launching its first natively tokenized money market funds, in partnership with Allfunds Blockchain. Unlike traditional funds that are digitized after the fact, these funds are designed from the outset to operate on the blockchain.
Central banks are preparing for the future of currency
Monetary institutions themselves are undergoing a transformation. According to the Bank for International Settlements, 94% of the world’s central banks are currently working on central bank digital currencies (CBDCs).
To understand what is at stake, imagine a fully digital euro or dollar, issued directly by the central bank, as easy to use as a mobile payment app but with the security and guarantee of the state. This is exactly what CBDCs promise.
Admittedly, obstacles remain. Integrating blockchain into existing banking systems is complex, and regulations vary considerably from one country to another. But the tide is turning: new regulations such as MiCA in Europe (the first European legal framework governing crypto-asset issuance and services to ensure consumer protection and market stability) are creating a clear and favorable legal environment. Nearly 90% of North American banks are now actively exploring this technology. Banks are no longer asking whether they should adopt blockchain, but how best to do so to serve their customers.
Sources :
- https://www.swift.com/fr/node/310352
- https://www.forbes.com/sites/digital-assets/2025/09/30/silent-revolution-when-swift-embraced-the-blockchain/
- https://esgnews.com/fr/JP-Morgans-et-Kinexys-s%27associent-%C3%A0-SP-Global-pour-piloter-la-blockchain-pour-les-march%C3%A9s-du-carbone/
- https://www.business.hsbc.ae/en-gb/campaigns/blockchain/contour
- https://www.banque-france.fr/fr/communiques-de-presse/la-banque-de-france-realise-avec-succes-deux-operations-de-marche-sur-actifs-tokenises
- https://journalducoin.com/economie/cryptomonnaies-goldman-sachs-blockchain-pour-trading-institutionnel/
