{
  "id": 8898386,
  "title": "ECB to invest part of own funds in tokenised securities, with settlement via Pontes",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/21/ecb-to-invest-part-of-own-funds-in-tokenised-securities-with",
  "topic": "finance",
  "section": "Finance & Markets",
  "published": "2026-09-21T10:00:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "ECB Press",
    "slug": "ecb-press",
    "url": "https://www.ecb.europa.eu//press/pr/date/2026/html/ecb.pr260921_1~5a011ecbea.en.html"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "The European Central Bank (ECB) has commenced preparatory work to invest a small portion of its own funds in tokenised securities. This initiative aims to provide the ECB with practical experience in investing and building institutional expertise in distributed ledger technology (DLT) within financial markets. The own funds portfolio serves as a non-monetary policy asset, generating income to support the ECB's operational expenses, excluding those related to supervisory tasks. This move aligns with the Eurosystem's strategy to modernize central bank money for the digital age. Central to this strategy are Pontes, the Eurosystem's solution for settling tokenised assets in central bank money, and the Appia initiative, which will outline a blueprint for a tokenised financial ecosystem in Europe. By directly investing in tokenised markets, the ECB will gain firsthand experience throughout the investment process, including execution, settlement, systems, and portfolio management. Initial investments will concentrate on euro-denominated securities issued by euro area central governments, regional governments, agencies, and European supranational institutions. Following completion of preparatory work, the ECB’s Executive Board will establish the operational specifics and timing of these investments, considering advancements in tokenised issuances and the evolving tokenised financial ecosystem in Europe. For further information on Pontes and the Eurosystem’s tokenised finance initiatives, visit the ECB’s website. Media inquiries can be directed to Lena-Sophie Demuth at +49 162 2952316. Reproduction is allowed as long as the source is credited. The website utilizes functional and analytics cookies to enhance user experience and website performance. Users can choose to accept or reject these cookies, with detailed information on the privacy statement and cookie usage available.",
  "summary": null,
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}