Bank of Korea Reveals Results of Tokenized Deposit Testing
The Bank of Korea has announced the results of its pilot test for tokenized deposits. Involving 28 central banks and international financial organizations, the project saw participation from major South Korean banks including KB Kookmin Bank, NH NongHyup Bank, Shinhan Bank, Woori Bank, and Hana Bank. Transactions, from payment orders to final settlement, were completed in real time, averaging just 80 seconds. The test involved 30 transactions across 17 different scenarios—such as corporate and interbank transfers—and was conducted in six currencies, including the Korean won, US dollar, and euro, with a total transaction value reaching approximately $995,000.
The central bank reported that the platform operated stably throughout, despite being only partially connected to the existing banking infrastructure. Settlements using tokenized deposits were executed seamlessly, quickly, and transparently. An internal transfer of 20 million won (about $13,890) between NH NongHyup Bank and Shinhan Bank was also successfully processed via the Project Agora platform, which involved connecting to the Bank of Korea's CBDC test platform, Project Hangang.
Additionally, KB Kookmin Bank and Japan's MUFG Bank tested cross-border payments using these deposit tokens—digital certificates issued by commercial banks within the pilot, not directly by the central bank. The Bank of Korea plans to continue testing payments with tokenized deposits. This follows last year's pledge by South Korean authorities to tighten regulations for won-based stablecoins, which will require approval from both the central bank and the Financial Services Commission.
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