Bank for International Settlements (BIS) Explores DeFi Innovations for Future Financial Infrastructure

28. Sep 2023 Posted by Guest on News

The Bank for International Settlements (BIS) has revealed that certain aspects of Decentralized Finance (DeFi) may play a pivotal role in shaping the future of financial market infrastructure, following the completion of Project Mariana, their wholesale Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC) pilot.

In a recently released report, the BIS Innovation Hub announced the conclusion of Project Mariana, which focused on testing cross-border trading and settlement mechanisms for CBDCs among financial institutions. The project drew inspiration from DeFi innovations and specifically highlighted the potential of automated market makers to lay the foundation for a new era of financial market infrastructure.

The report emphasized that the project "borrowed ideas and concepts from decentralized finance" and explored whether automated market makers could streamline foreign exchange trading and settlement processes. It sought to determine whether these DeFi-inspired elements could enhance market efficiency while reducing settlement risk.

The practical testing involved simulated cross-border trading and settlement of hypothetical wholesale CBDC versions of major currencies like the Swiss franc, euro, and Singapore dollar. These simulated trades were conducted between the central banks of France, Singapore, and Switzerland, leveraging the capabilities of an automated market maker.

The outcomes were promising, as the report stated, "The project successfully demonstrated that it is feasible to exchange wholesale CBDC across borders using novel concepts such as automated market makers." However, the report also acknowledged that DeFi technologies are still in their early stages, and further research and experimentation are necessary.

The BIS Innovation Hub has expressed its intent to continue exploring the potential benefits and challenges associated with DeFi, focusing on relevant use cases as they advance toward reshaping financial market infrastructure.