Sibos 2026 Recap: Connecting Global Finance to Onchain Markets | Highlights, Coverage, and More

Key Takeaways

• Chainlink launched CCIP 2.0, providing asset issuers with more control over how their assets move through additional verification, built-in compliance controls, and configurable transfer speeds, enabling the secure distribution of tokenized assets across public and private blockchains.
• Chainlink announced that it is enabling financial institutions to connect to Swift’s blockchain ledger through CRE, allowing banks to leverage 24/7 tokenized deposit payment workflows while retaining control of the keys that authorize transactions.
• Chainlink introduced Fulcrum, a new end-to-end solution for institutional financing and collateral management across public and private blockchains. Its cross-chain repo flow separates the venue where a financing agreement is managed from the networks where cash and collateral settle, allowing counterparties to coordinate settlement across supported chains without being locked into any one venue.

Introduction

Sibos 2026 brought the global financial industry together in Miami to discuss the future of payments, securities, digital assets, and AI. Throughout the week, Chainlink joins institutions and market infrastructure providers to examine how existing financial systems can connect with blockchain networks and enable digital asset workflows at scale.

Chainlink brought its capital markets and payments leaders to Sibos, with team members speaking alongside major institutions on collateral mobility, payments, and interoperability. At the Chainlink booth at stand I028, Chainlink met with banks, asset managers, and financial market infrastructures to discuss connecting existing financial systems with onchain markets.

Day 1

Chainlink Launches CCIP 2.0 To Open the Floodgates for the World’s Capital To Flow Onchain

Chainlink launched CCIP 2.0, a major upgrade to the cross-chain interoperability standard that enables institutions to distribute and manage tokenized assets across public and private blockchains. Asset issuers can now seamlessly establish their security, compliance, and operational policies once, then apply them as they expand across chains.

CCIP 2.0 gives issuers more control over how those assets move:

• New Cross-Chain Verifiers (CCVs) enable them to add independent verification operated by their own teams or trusted third parties on top of CCIP’s secure-by-default infrastructure. 
• Built-in integration with the Chainlink Automated Compliance Engine (ACE) powers issuer-defined eligibility checks, approvals, and transaction limits. 
• Configurable confirmation settings let issuers leverage faster-than-finality transfers for suitable use cases or wait for full source-chain finality when a transaction requires it.

Together, these capabilities give financial institutions a shared, neutral foundation for reaching new onchain markets while maintaining control over the movement of their assets.

Chainlink Is Enabling Financial Institutions To Connect to Swift’s Blockchain Ledger

Chainlink announced it is enabling financial institutions to connect their systems and key signing infrastructure to Swift’s blockchain ledger through the Chainlink platform. 

This solution enables banks to easily access the Swift ledger and manage their usage of smart contracts on both their own ledgers for tokenized deposits and the Swift ledger. At the center of the solution is a self-signing model for financial institutions enabled through the Chainlink Runtime Environment (CRE). Institutions retain control of the keys used to authorize transactions, while CRE orchestrates workflows connecting financial institutions to Swift’s ledger. This enables banks to adopt 24/7 tokenized payment workflows while preserving their existing security governance, approval processes, and operating models. 

Swift’s ledger provides a secure orchestration layer for 24/7 cross-border payments using tokenized deposits that remain on banks’ balance sheets, thus preserving the benefits of commercial bank money. Bank-issued tokenized deposits remain on banks’ own ledgers, while Swift’s ledger securely coordinates the movement of funds between participating institutions, including overnight and on weekends. 

“I’m very excited about the Swift ledger and what it will mean for tokenized deposits, as well as where global payments goes next. We are thrilled to be supporting the Swift ledger as more banks seek to join it and need a technology partner that can help them launch tokenized deposit capabilities and properly connect to the Swift ledger to gain the full benefit of its large network of users.” — Sergey Nazarov, CEO, Chainlink Labs

Next Generation of Collateral Management: Cross-Chain Collateral Mobility

On stage at Sibos 2026, Chainlink and DTCC demonstrated how Chainlink Fulcrum executed a cross-chain securities financing transaction.

Sibos Wrap-Up Day 1: Tokenization Takes Centre Stage

Global Custodian joined industry leaders from BNP Paribas, Standard Chartered, and Chainlink to discuss why tokenization took center stage on Sibos’ opening day. They examined recent developments, the opportunities for financial institutions, and the challenges that still stand in the way of wider adoption.

Andrew McCormick on Chainlink’s Biggest Highlights From Sibos Day 1

Industry News

• Chainlink launches new version of its crypto bridge tech 'CCIP' to give apps more control over their security. CoinDesk.
• Chainlink Launches CCIP 2.0 to Standardize Institutional Cross-Chain Digital Asset Movement. Fintech Finance News.
• Chainlink upgrades cross-chain standard as $84B in token value rides on CCIP. Crypto Briefing.
• Chainlink Launches CCIP 2.0 With Custom Verifiers and Faster Transfers. The Defiant.
• Chainlink Connects Banks to Swift’s Blockchain Ledger. Markets Media.
• Chainlink: Enabling Swift banks to read and write on Swift's blockchain ledger. TradingView.
• Chainlink to connect banks to Swift’s blockchain ledger. PostTrade 360°.
• DTCC Plans Collateral AppChain With Chainlink for 24/7 Operations. TokenPost.

Day 2

Chainlink, J.P. Morgan, and GLEIF on Agentic AI in Custody and Asset Servicing 

Chainlink Co-Founder Sergey Nazarov was joined by J.P. Morgan and GLEIF to discuss agentic AI in custody and asset servicing, as well as what happens when AI begins to act like a market participant.

Crypto Finance on Unlocking Onchain Markets for Financial Institutions

In an interview at the Chainlink booth, Stijn Vander Straeten, CEO of Deutsche Börse Group’s Crypto Finance, discusses how Chainlink gives financial institutions access to onchain markets, helps them deliver a better experience for their clients, and more.

Global Custodian Sibos Wrap-Up Day 2: How Agentic AI Is Reshaping Custody

In Global Custodian’s Sibos 2026 Day 2 wrap-up, Chainlink Co-Founder Sergey Nazarov joined J.P. Morgan’s Sam Cauvain-Welsh and GLEIF’s Alexandre Kech to discuss how agentic AI is changing custody and asset servicing. The conversation covered the use of the technology in client queries, document processing, and exception resolution, then turned to the identity and controls needed as AI agents gain authority to act on behalf of institutions. Sergey explained how Chainlink is building infrastructure for agents to access and use onchain cash, tokenized equities, and tokenized funds.

Andrew McCormick on Chainlink’s Biggest Highlights From Sibos Day 2

Day 3

Introducing Chainlink Fulcrum To Connect the World's Largest Financial Institutions to Onchain Financing

Chainlink Fulcrum is a new end-to-end solution for institutional financing and collateral management across public and private blockchains.

Built for the needs of the world’s largest financial institutions, Chainlink Fulcrum is the first cross-chain repurchase agreement (repo) flow that separates the venue where a financing agreement is managed from the networks where cash and collateral settle. Through a single gateway, counterparties can choose eligible assets, set financing terms (e.g., prohibit collateral rehypothecation), and coordinate settlement across any supported chain, all without being locked into any one venue.

Chainlink Fulcrum is a global financing layer for the entire financial ecosystem. Banks and dealers can source and deploy liquidity around the clock. Prime brokers can extend financing to hedge funds against a broader range of tokenized collateral, enabling hedge funds to raise liquidity without selling their positions. Agent lenders and custodians can put their clients' tokenized securities to work in secured lending programs. Funds and insurers can deploy tokenized cash into secured, yield-bearing transactions, using collateral and terms that align with their mandates. Asset managers and issuers of tokenized funds and stablecoins can make their products more useful by making them eligible as collateral across venues, while corporate treasuries can earn yield on idle cash.

Chainlink Fulcrum combines multiple aspects of the Chainlink platform into a unified solution, including:

• Chainlink Runtime Environment (CRE) orchestrates the workflow, coordinating the relevant data, systems, and contract calls across the transaction lifecycle. CRE connects agreement creation, collateral verification, and cash release into a single repeatable process.
• Cross-Chain Interoperability Protocol (CCIP) connects the public and private blockchains involved, enabling the cross-chain communication and asset transfers required to execute the financing transaction.
• Chainlink Data Streams supply market data used to value collateral, along with supplemental market data needed to enable transactions, such as real-time, mutually agreed-upon haircuts that discount the recognized value to account for risk.
• Compliance, privacy, AI, and other functionalities of the Chainlink platform built into the solution in the future, based on user demand, to unlock more advanced use cases.

If your organization is interested in using Chainlink Fulcrum, talk to an expert.

Advancing Tokenized Securities and Collateral Mobility With DTCC

Sergey Nazarov and Nadine Chakar, Global Head of Digital Assets at DTCC, sat down for a conversation about what DTCC Collateral AppChain unlocks for tokenized securities and collateral mobility.

Future of Value: Part Two — When Money Becomes Intelligent

Sergey Nazarov joined Microsoft’s Martin Moeller and Parallax Ventures’ Azor Barros for an Innotribe discussion on the future of value and agentic finance. The panel covered how AI agents can manage financial workflows and transact with digital assets, as well as the governance needed when those agents act more autonomously. Sergey explained how Chainlink provides verified data and cross-chain connectivity, while smart contracts enforce the rules and risk limits that turn AI-driven decisions into reliable financial transactions.

"Tokenization will create a parallel system for onchain cash, equities, & funds. That parallel system will be very efficient & very accessible to AI agents.” — Sergey Nazarov

Hear Sergey explain how tokenization will create a parallel system for onchain cash, equities, and funds that AI agents can access and use efficiently.

Bottomline Stops by the Chainlink Booth

Natasha Lapierre, Global Head of Product Strategy and Innovation at Bottomline, explains what the strategic partnership between Chainlink and Bottomline is unlocking for the world’s largest financial institutions. Bottomline is a top-three Swift service provider that moves more than $16 trillion in payments annually for over 600 banks.

Beyond Disaster Recovery: Can AI Keep Payments Moving Under Extreme Stress?

At Sibos 2026, Chainlink Labs’ Ryan Lovell joined representatives from Bottomline, J.P. Morgan, PwC, and Regions Bank to discuss how AI and alternative payment rails can keep payments moving under extreme stress. Ryan highlighted the resilience of blockchain networks and the importance of connecting tokenized value with existing payment systems. Bottomline’s Natasha Lapierre discussed their strategic partnership with Chainlink to connect ISO 20022 messages to onchain settlement through Global Pay Connect, a Bottomline platform used by more than 600 banks.

Global Custodian Sibos Wrap-Up Day 3: Corporate Actions – Fixing Fragmentation Before Automating It

In Global Custodian’s Sibos 2026 Day 3 wrap-up, Chainlink Labs’ William Riley joined DTCC’s Adam Watson and Brown Brothers Harriman’s Caitlin McGrady to discuss why corporate actions remain fragmented as settlement cycles shorten. They examined the need for verifiable data and industry-wide standards before automation can deliver its full value. William described how Chainlink is used in a novel corporate actions solution that incorporates multiple AI models and its decentralized oracle networks to turn unstructured corporate actions data into a consistent output.

Industry News

• Chainlink launches cross-chain repo and collateral platform. Securities Finance Times.
• Chainlink Fulcrum Targets the $346 Million Problem of Stranded Bank Collateral. Genfinity.
• Chainlink launches institutional cross-chain repo solution. Finadium.

Day 4

Leveraging Swift Messaging and Chainlink Infrastructure To Automate Corporate Actions for Tokenized Equities

For the 2026 Swift Hackathon Business Challenge, Chainlink built a novel solution that automates a cash dividend across four blockchains, from the corporate action announcement through payment and final reconciliation, with no manual intervention required at any step. The challenge asked, "Who does what in a tokenized world?" Chainlink's submission focused on the registrar or paying agent responsible for distributing a cash dividend on tokenized equities.

The solution leverages CRE to coordinate the workflow end-to-end, alongside multiple Chainlink services for cross-chain connectivity, compliance, and market data. ISO 20022 remains the messaging standard throughout, enabling institutions to manage tokenized securities through the infrastructure and operational standards they already use.

The benefits of this solution include:

• A single ownership record across multiple blockchains: Blockchains feature different block confirmation times and rules for when a transaction is considered final. CRE reconciles those differences by reading holder positions across all networks and combining them into a single canonical register. The solution also defines how shares moving across chains at the cutoff are assigned, so no position is double-counted or lost.
• Accurate entitlements with built-in compliance: Chainlink ACE checks each wallet against the required identity, sanctions, tax status, and eligibility rules before the dividend is calculated. Data Feeds provide the data needed to adjust the reference price when the shares go ex-dividend.
• Automated payments and complete audit trail: On pay date, CRE delivers the dividend to each holder's wallet in the selected stablecoin or tokenized deposit, on whichever network that wallet sits on, with Chainlink CCIP delivering the settlement asset to chains where it is not natively issued. Each payment is tied back to the original corporate action message, giving the paying agent a clear record of what settled and what may need to be retried.

We thank Swift for organizing the 2026 Business Challenge and for selecting this solution as the runner-up, and we look forward to developing this work further with the Swift community. 

To learn more about the solution, read the full blog post: Leveraging Swift Messaging and Chainlink Infrastructure To Automate Corporate Actions for Tokenized Equities.

Old Rails, New Rails, Future Rails: Building the Trust Layer for Interoperable Global Finance

Sergey Nazarov delivered the keynote at GLEIF’s workshop on building the trust layer for interoperable global finance. The session brought together leaders from Clearstream, Ubyx, TerraPay, and the International Finance Corporation to discuss how financial systems can connect and transact with greater trust.

Sibos Wrap-Up Day 4: Is Global Settlement Alignment Actually Achievable?

In Global Custodian’s final Sibos 2026 wrap-up, Sergey Nazarov joined leaders from Deutsche Bank and BNP Paribas to discuss Europe’s move to T+1 settlement and the operational changes it requires. Sergey explained how AI can identify errors as settlement windows shrink, while tokenized cash and other digital assets enable faster, atomic settlement. He highlighted Chainlink’s role in connecting blockchain networks and supporting reliable onchain cash as institutions move digital assets into production.

Next Up: Link:NYC — Where Global Finance Connects

The conversations from Sibos continue at Link:NYC, a one-day event bringing together senior leaders from banks, asset managers, market infrastructure providers, and institutional allocators. On October 29, they will explore how global markets are evolving for a digital, AI-driven economy, with discussions spanning institutional tokenized assets, interoperability, financial market infrastructure, agentic finance, stablecoins, and payments.

Apply to attend Link:NYC and join the leaders shaping how value moves across the next generation of financial markets.