BOJ Governor Says Blockchain, AI Reshaping Finance
Bank of Japan Governor Ueda Kazuo stated that the rapid integration of blockchain and AI is transforming the financial system, with central banks playing a crucial role in ensuring trust as crypto infrastructure evolves. Speaking at FIN/SUM 2026, he emphasized that blockchain is entering its implementation phase, significantly impacting DeFi, smart contracts, and tokenized assets in settlements, payments, and cross-border finance. Ueda highlighted blockchain's programmability for streamlining complex processes like delivery-versus-payment and international transfers. He also addressed interoperability challenges and systemic risks in fragmented blockchain ecosystems, proposing tokenized central bank money as a unifying solution. The BOJ is advancing several initiatives, including a retail CBDC pilot and Project Agora for cross-border payments using tokenized deposits. Additionally, AI is increasingly used for analyzing blockchain data to enhance risk management and compliance. Ueda concluded that while blockchain-based finance is no longer experimental, its stability depends on central banks embedding trust, liquidity, and settlement finality into digital infrastructure.
TheNewsCrypto03/03 11:45