SummaryDBS and Citi completed their first cross-border dollar payment using tokenized deposits on Swift’s Digital Ledger, settling the weekend transaction in minutes instead of up to two business days.The payment was the second confirmed live transaction on Swift’s blockchain ledger, which launched in July with 17 banks as the network faces competition from stablecoins and other round-the-clock payment systems.The test could help address costly weekend delays as Asia’s outbound cross-border payments are projected to reach $24 trillion by 2033, up from $13.5 trillion in 2025.DBS (D05) and Citi (C) completed the first cross-border USD payment over a weekend using tokenized deposits on Swift's Digital Ledger, the banks announced Monday. The transaction, executed on Sept. 5 between DBS in Singapore and Citi's New York office, settled in minutes rather than the industry norm of up to two business days.It is the second confirmed live transaction on Swift's blockchain ledger, following HSBC and Standard Chartered's first live cross-border transfer in August. The back-to-back tests come as Swift's $1.5 quadrillion network faces pressure from stablecoins and tokenized deposits that settle around the clock, raising the question of whether the 53-year-old messaging network can adapt fast enough to remain relevant. Swift rolled out its blockchain ledger in July with 17 banks.Cross-border payments between Asia and the US routinely stall over weekends. A corporate treasurer moving liquidity from Singapore to New York on a Friday has to wait until the following Monday at the earliest. For companies running 24/7 digital operations, that gap costs money in delayed supplier payments and frozen working capital, DBS said in its statement.
DBS and Citi execute first weekend cross-border payment on Swift ledger
DBS and Citi execute first weekend cross-border payment on Swift ledger











