The Bank of England has selected Chainlink to participate in its experimental Synchronisation Lab, a pioneering initiative exploring how digital assets can settle alongside traditional central bank money.

BRIDGING BLOCKCHAIN AND CENTRAL BANK MONEY

According to the Synchronisation Lab website, “Chainlink will test a decentralised solution to execute synchronised settlement between central bank money and securities issued on a DLT ledger.” The initiative builds on the central bank’s broader effort to modernize its Real-Time Gross Settlement infrastructure, known as RT2.

UAC Labs will also participate in the project as a decentralised solution provider, with other notable participants Swift, London Stock Exchange Group, and Partior moving forwards on a variety of different objectives.

SIMULATED TESTING ENVIRONMENT

The Synchronisation Lab will run for 6 months in 2026 and will provide participants with a simulated, non-live environment and dedicated APIs to demonstrate how their platforms would coordinate with payment providers and asset registries. Use cases being tested include foreign-exchange transactions, tokenized bonds and collateral management.

THE BANK Of ENGLAND HAS:

emphasized that the lab does not handle actual funds or confer regulatory approval. Findings from the experimental program will inform design choices for a potential future live synchronization capability.