According to a Citi survey, most securities firms are considering central bank digital currencies (CBDCs) because it might shorten local financial settlement cycles in the next five years.
The most recent edition of Citi’s Securities Services Evolution white paper highlighted India’s recent transition to T+1 settlements, which ensures that all trade-related payments are finalized within twenty-four hours of a transaction.
Citi’s survey measures the significance of distributed ledger technology (DLT), CBDCs, and stablecoins in accelerating the transition to T+1 settlement cycles as the United States, Canada, and other leading economies intensify their efforts.
By 2026, 87% of the 483 survey respondents and 12 financial markets infrastructures (FMIs) view CBDCs as a viable option for shortened settlement cycles. The support for CBDCs among securities firms increased by 21% annually.
Domestic pilot programs and international initiatives bolster support for digital fiat currencies. Citi’s analysis stated:
“Recent cross-border multi-bank experiments are now providing detailed insights into how central bank funding can be operationalized in a digital context, both internally and across entire markets.”
In the coming years, however, regulatory uncertainties, limited knowledge, backward compatibility with traditional financial systems, and blockchain interoperability will be among the most significant obstacles to the widespread adoption of digital assets.
Institutional investors, banks, and asset managers have the greatest capacity to scale and deliver market-wide solutions, a crucial factor in the pervasive adoption of CBDCs, stablecoins, and other centrally administered financial instruments.
Citi’s report predicts that by 2028, financial aspirations will surpass T+1. The mainstreaming of distributed ledger technologies, shorter settlement cycles, digital cash-focused funding mechanisms, and the elimination of central banking systems are among the anticipated changes.
A month after India presented the concept of conducting cross-border payments using its CBDC to 18 central banks, the Reserve Bank of Australia concluded its internal CBDC pilot.
The Australian central bank believes a CBDC could support financial innovation in debt securities markets and promote innovation in emergent private digital money sectors, bolstering digital economy resilience and inclusion.
