SWIFT, the 50-year old financial conglomerate, are dipping their toes into blockchain-based infrastructure. “We’re taking a bold step toward making cross-border payments as seamless as domestic ones”, – read the blog post about SWIFT’s new standard of consumer-originated transactions.
At Swift, we continue to evolve the cross border payments experience – and adding a blockchain based ledger to our infrastructure stack marks an important step forward in that journey.
Why does embedding a shared ledger matter?
Thierry Chilosi , our Chief Business Officer,… pic.twitter.com/xzSXnNhZ0D
— Swift (@swiftcommunity)
January 29, 2026
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Aside from recently testing Hedera Hashgraph (HBAR) & Ripple (XRP), SWIFT employed more than 40 banks for the Swift Payments Scheme, the new revolutionary system that’s supposed to make international transactions instant. This enforces a new set of rules for qualified banks & institutions.
Do XRP & HBAR Play a Part in SWIFT’s New Scheme?
Notably, the implementation of Swift’s Payments Scheme will be covered throughout 2026. This falls in line with SWIFT concluding XRP & HBAR testing for distributed ledger-based payment solutions, but that doesn’t necessarily guarantee to deliver a clear winner. SWIFT’s executives are focused on multi-chain functionality.
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However, those highly-compatible with the new ISO 20022 gold standard technically gain an advantage over vaguely-regulated counterparts. By the same token, Ripple (XRP), Hedera (HBAR) & Stellar Lumens (XLM), all DLT chains, have active partnerships with banks worldwide.
SWIFT is working with 40+ banks on real-time cross-border settlement.
Their MVP launches H1 2026.
The irony? That's the exact promise crypto made years ago. SWIFT isn't replacing crypto — it's admitting the old model failed. Any asset that can't integrate with modern rails… pic.twitter.com/HgGNc3reci
— Ripple Bull Winkle | Crypto Researcher 🚀🚨 (@RipBullWinkle)
January 29, 2026
Blockchain integration is a “natural extension of the world we carry today into the digital era”, said Thierry Chilosi, the Chief Business Officer at SWIFT. Previously conducting business with Linea, a blockchain solution launched by MetaMask’s co-founders, SWIFT also acknowledged the need for instant payment rails during last year’s Hedera conference in Denver.
With this real-time settlement platform still in the works, the strategic shift could take both HBAR & XRP under SWIFT’s umbrella. For Ripple’s native XRP Ledger, the edge is game-tested trading volumes, handling billions of dollars on a regular day. Meanwhile, HBAR tops XRP Ledger in technical capabilities, able to handle up 10,000 transactions per second (TPS).
People Also Ask:
What is SWIFT’s new retail payments scheme?
It’s a global initiative to make cross-border payments faster, transparent, and predictable for consumers and small businesses.
Why is this seen as “copying Ripple’s playbook”?
SWIFT’s focus on transparency, predictability, and end-to-end experience mirrors Ripple’s decade-long advocacy for modernizing payments.
When does the scheme launch?
Phased rollout starts with an MVP in the first half of 2026, building on pilots with 40+ banks worldwide.
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