Asia-Pacific
AML/CFT seen as biggest barrier to improving cross-border payments
All African central banks say AML/CFT compliance is a major challenge
Number of unplanned outages in RTGS systems doubles
Central banks with longest average downtime typically plan to upgrade system within a year
Working group minutes: tokenised platforms vs synchronisation
Central bankers weigh up merits of emerging technologies and debate stablecoin use cases
Two-thirds of RTGS systems now aligned with ISO 20022
Over 80% of central banks aligned with CPMI harmonised standards
RTGS systems with broader hours accessed by more financial firms
Number of non-banks with RTGS systems access doubles year on year
RTGS systems’ running costs linked to operational hours
Two-thirds of infrastructure still operational for 7–12 hours daily
Market data good predictor of FX swings – BoJ research
Paper examines trade repository information in foreign currency markets
RTGS systems process nearly 200 million payments on average
Transaction values average $11.6 trillion among respondents
Number of RTGS fee-regulating central banks rises
More than two-fifths of retail payments ecosystem were diversified in 2025
Non-banks lack central bank oversight in some jurisdictions
One in five smaller central banks lack oversight on all payment systems
Some payment departments struggle with staffing capacity
Payment teams from Africa and the Americas report highest staff shortage
Payments units have median staffing of 30 FTE personnel
Central banks say they are boosting staff numbers to keep pace with evolving technology
Edna Villa on the BSP’s shift to a risk-return SAA
The Philippines’ reserves head speaks about the transition to an upgraded strategic asset allocation framework, a broadening of eligible assets, the internalisation of some investments, the upgrade of tech platforms and the role of gold as a strategic…
High-value notes: default money for criminals?
Some experts say the notes are a boon for felons, and that central banks should stop issuing them
Reinventing reserve management: governance, risk and agility in a fragmented global financial system
Bank Indonesia’s new total‑portfolio approach tightens governance, risk controls and implementation speed in volatile global markets, writes reserves head Rahmatullah Sjamsudin
BIS announces board changes
Panetta elected chair, plus new roles for heads of RBA, BCB, BoJ and BoK
People: Macron nominates ex-chief of staff to take over at BdF
Plus: BoJ appoints new head of international affairs, and MNB deputy joins EBA board
BNM and BI boost co-operation amid ‘challenging’ geopolitics
Banks say agreement aims to promote regional stability and sustainable growth
Three-fifths of central banks use strategic progress monitoring tools
Respondents with wider set of objectives report highest usage of tools
Central banks increasingly use KPIs for strategic planning
Practice more widespread in jurisdictions that link annual reviews to all staff
Trends in reserve management 2026: survey results
101 central banks, responsible for $9.5trn+ reserves, reveal exclusive data on FX interventions, if the US dollar is still seen as a safe-haven currency and approaches to investing in 20+ currencies