Chainlink and SWIFT Unite Blockchain and Traditional Finance for Smarter Asset Settlement

Chainlink, the industry-standard oracle platform, announced a groundbreaking integration with SWIFT, the global financial messaging network, to enable institutions to process blockchain transactions directly through traditional banking systems. This collaboration, set to launch in November 2025, leverages Chainlink's Cross-Chain Interoperability Protocol (CCIP) and Runtime Environment (CRE) to bridge the gap between legacy infrastructure and blockchain technology. Financial institutions will now be able to attach blockchain wallet addresses to SWIFT payment messages, interact with smart contracts, and settle tokenized assets such as currencies, bonds, and equities across both blockchain and traditional networks SWIFT Chainlink Integration Set for November 2025: From Pilot to Live Deployment^[1].

The integration builds on a 2024 pilot program involving SWIFT, UBS, BNY Mellon, and BNP Paribas, which demonstrated the feasibility of secure, interoperable transactions between blockchain and traditional finance. By November 2025, the initiative transitions from testing to live institutional use, marking a pivotal shift in how blockchain is embedded into core financial infrastructure. This move positions SWIFT as a mainstream layer for blockchain, supporting the growing adoption of tokenized real-world assets (RWAs) like digital bonds and stablecoins SWIFT Chainlink Integration Set for November 2025: From Pilot to Live Deployment^[1].

A key use case involves tokenized fund management, where SWIFT messages trigger onchain subscriptions and redemptions for tokenized funds. In a pilot with UBS Tokenize, the Chainlink Runtime Environment processed ISO 20022-compliant messages to automate workflows for a UBS tokenized fund, using the Chainlink Digital Transfer Agent (DTA) standard. This approach eliminates the need for institutions to overhaul legacy systems, allowing them to access blockchain benefits such as speed, transparency, and automation while retaining existing identity and key management tools .

The collaboration addresses critical inefficiencies in the $100+ trillion global fund industry, where traditional subscription and redemption processes are often manual, time-consuming, and costly. By enabling off-chain cash settlements via SWIFT and onchain tokenized workflows, the solution streamlines operations, reduces reconciliation burdens, and enhances liquidity. This innovation aligns with the Monetary Authority of Singapore's (MAS) Project Guardian, which previously demonstrated how tokenized fund transactions could integrate with fiat systems .

Analysts highlight the broader implications for financial markets. The integration reduces operational friction, supports automated compliance, and unlocks new opportunities for tokenized asset adoption. For institutions, it provides a scalable, secure framework to explore blockchain-based innovations without disrupting existing workflows. Sergey Nazarov, Chainlink co-founder, emphasized that this development "shows how smart contracts and technical standards can help financial institutions manage tokenized assets onchain," signaling a shift toward programmable finance .

The partnership underscores SWIFT's strategic evolution in blockchain. Since 2023, SWIFT has collaborated with Chainlink on tests to connect banks to multiple blockchains via a single access point. Recent initiatives, including Project Agorá with the Bank for International Settlements, further explore how tokenized commercial bank deposits can coexist with central bank digital currencies (CBDCs). This SWIFT-Chainlink integration represents a critical milestone in bridging traditional and decentralized finance, with potential to reshape cross-border payments and asset settlement .