New leadership signals stronger global focus on CBDCs, tokenized deposits and cross-border digital payment systems
The Bank for International Settlements has named Tommaso Mancini-Griffoli as the next head of its Innovation Hub, marking a decisive step in the global shift toward digitally integrated financial systems. Set to assume the role in March 2026, Mancini-Griffoli brings years of expertise in payments, digital currencies and financial stability, positioning the Hub for a new phase of policy-driven experimentation.
BIS Advances Global CBDC and Tokenization Efforts
The Innovation Hub has become a proving ground for technologies that may underpin tomorrow’s financial architecture. Current initiatives include mBridge, a multi-country cross-border CBDC platform; Agora, a tokenized deposit infrastructure; and Project Nexus, a model for linking real-time payment systems across borders.
A senior central bank official familiar with the projects noted that the appointment reinforces the BIS’s direction:
“The next phase of digital finance will require coordination, standards and strong public backing. The Hub’s work is pivotal in showing how these systems can operate at scale.”
Mancini-Griffoli’s Vision: Public-Backed Digital Money Models
Known for his work on payments policy, Mancini-Griffoli has long highlighted the need for safe, interoperable digital money frameworks. He has argued that unregulated stablecoins expose users to liquidity and governance risks, calling for models that anchor digital assets to central bank money.
In previous remarks, he emphasized the value of hybrid designs:
“A synthetic CBDC—where private issuers create digital money fully backed by central bank reserves—can combine public-sector stability with private-sector innovation.”
His stance reflects a growing view among policymakers that tokenized finance can thrive only when built atop secure settlement assets.
Implications for Digital Asset Markets
Under his leadership, the Innovation Hub is expected to deepen work on interoperable CBDCs, tokenized deposits and cross-border payment rails, shaping regulatory and technical standards that may influence how private digital money products evolve.
As global momentum for digital currency frameworks accelerates, the BIS’s strategic shift underscores a broader transition toward safer, scalable and publicly anchored digital financial infrastructure.
Disclaimer
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