Bank of Italy Deputy Governor Urges EU Review of Tokenized SEPA Payments System

Chiara Scotti says the European Union should assess a tokenized version of the Single Euro Payments Area payments network as financial innovation reshapes how public and private money interact.

Summary

Bank of Italy Deputy Governor Chiara Scotti said the European Union should evaluate a tokenized version of SEPA (Single Euro Payments Area, euro payments network). She said financial innovation is challenging the role of central banks and argued that building infrastructure for interaction between public and private money is a priority. The remarks point to growing official attention on tokenization (converting assets or payment claims into blockchain-based digital form) as policymakers examine how existing payment rails could work with new digital finance models.

Terms & Concepts
  • Tokenization: The process of representing assets or payment claims in digital form on blockchain-based or similar programmable infrastructure.
  • SEPA: Single Euro Payments Area, a European payments framework that standardizes euro transfers across participating countries.
  • Central bank money: Public money issued by a central bank, typically used as the foundation of the financial system and payment settlement.