ECB unveils Appia strategy and Pontes DLT launch timeline for tokenized markets by 2026

The European Central Bank has presented its Appia roadmap as a long-term framework for tokenized wholesale financial markets based on central bank money, with the Pontes distributed ledger settlement solution targeted for launch in the third quarter of 2026. The plan outlines how market DLT infrastructures will connect to the Eurosystem's TARGET Services and is accompanied by a public consultation open until April 22.