1、Blockchain for banksREPORTIs the financial system ready for an upgrade?Cover:JuSun/iStockManagement summaryTodays banking system presents itself as fully digital,yet its core settlement architecture remains rooted in systems designed decades ago.Customers experience seamless mobile interfaces and co

2、ntinuous access,but behind the screen transactions are still constrained by operating-hour windows and reconciliation cycles that reflect a different technological era.International payments can take several days to clear,and capital remains tied up in buffers that compensate for delayed synchroniza

3、tion between institutions.The system functions reliably,but in a market increasingly shaped by real-time expectations,its built-in constraints are becoming harder to ignore.Blockchain technology enables shared-ledger settlement in real time at costs and speeds suitable for production volumes,and cou

4、ld provide the structural upgrade that banking infrastructure requires.At the same time,competitive pressure is intensifying.The American Banking Association has claimed that as much as USD 6.6 trillion in bank deposits could be at risk if adoption of stablecoins continues unabated.Many banks have b

5、egun experimenting with blockchain,yet most activity remains confined to pilots and token gestures.The strategic challenge is therefore to move beyond experimentation while remaining compliant and managing risk.Meeting that challenge calls for disciplined execution.Banks must focus on areas where se

6、ttlement friction has a clear economic cost.They should consider building dedicated digital assets capability with senior sponsorship.The transition must move from contained pilots to scalable implementation.Technology choice needs to follow strategic intent and regulatory context.In other words,rew