Key Takeaways
- • IBM is connecting 12,500 financial institutions to Swift's blockchain-based shared ledger through a beta program for its Digital Asset Haven platform, enabling tokenized deposit transactions, according to the company.
- • Institutions can instruct tokenized deposit transactions using standard ISO 20022 messages, allowing move digital assets around the clock with final settlement through established systems.
- • IBM is extending Digital Asset Haven with an on-premises beta deployment on IBM Z and IBM LinuxONE infrastructure, removing dependency on public cloud services and claiming 99.999999% availability.
- • Swift's ledger moved from concept to activation in nine months with more than 40 financial institutions collaborating, and is currently piloted by 17 first-mover institutions.
- • Morgan Payments data cited by IBM indicates 93% of financial institutions are modernizing payments infrastructure.
Summary
IBM has announced that its Digital Asset Haven platform now connects to Swift's blockchain-based shared ledger in a beta program, giving 12,500 financial institutions a path to tokenized deposit transactions, according to the company. The integration lets institutions instruct these transactions using standard ISO 20022 messages, so existing payment formats can be used rather than blockchain-specific processes. Participants can move digital assets around the clock while anticipating final settlement through established systems and maintaining current Swift standards and compliance protocols.
IBM positioned the move against industry demand. Citing data from Morgan Payments, the company said 93% of financial institutions are modernizing payments infrastructure to improve efficiency and handle growing volumes of digital assets. IBM stated that "the financial services industry is entering a new era where tokenized and traditional assets will need to move side by side." Swift's ledger, which spans more than 200 markets, was developed in nine months with collaboration from over 40 financial institutions and is currently being piloted by 17 first-mover institutions testing tokenized deposits. IBM said participants have already tested these deposits on the Swift shared ledger using Digital Asset Haven.
IBM is also extending the platform with an on-premises deployment option that runs entirely within a client's data center on IBM Z and IBM LinuxONE infrastructure. According to IBM, the configuration supports management of stablecoins and tokenized deposits with hardware-backed key protection via IBM Crypto Express HSMs, confidential computing, and 99.999999% availability. It also supports formal, auditable root certificate authority key generation and IBM Offline Signing Orchestrator cold storage operations. IBM said the on-premises version is designed for institutions with stringent security and regulatory requirements. Following the October 2025 launch of SaaS and hybrid options, the company said banking and payment institutions across multiple continents have begun implementing digital asset use cases. Institutions interested in the on-premises beta can join a waitlist. The figures above are IBM's own claims and have not been independently verified in the source material.
IBM positioned the move against industry demand. Citing data from Morgan Payments, the company said 93% of financial institutions are modernizing payments infrastructure to improve efficiency and handle growing volumes of digital assets. IBM stated that "the financial services industry is entering a new era where tokenized and traditional assets will need to move side by side." Swift's ledger, which spans more than 200 markets, was developed in nine months with collaboration from over 40 financial institutions and is currently being piloted by 17 first-mover institutions testing tokenized deposits. IBM said participants have already tested these deposits on the Swift shared ledger using Digital Asset Haven.
IBM is also extending the platform with an on-premises deployment option that runs entirely within a client's data center on IBM Z and IBM LinuxONE infrastructure. According to IBM, the configuration supports management of stablecoins and tokenized deposits with hardware-backed key protection via IBM Crypto Express HSMs, confidential computing, and 99.999999% availability. It also supports formal, auditable root certificate authority key generation and IBM Offline Signing Orchestrator cold storage operations. IBM said the on-premises version is designed for institutions with stringent security and regulatory requirements. Following the October 2025 launch of SaaS and hybrid options, the company said banking and payment institutions across multiple continents have begun implementing digital asset use cases. Institutions interested in the on-premises beta can join a waitlist. The figures above are IBM's own claims and have not been independently verified in the source material.
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