BIS Appoints Digital Currency Expert Tommaso Mancini-Griffoli to Lead Innovation Hub
The Bank for International Settlements is set to launch significant digital currency initiatives under the new leadership of Tommaso Mancini-Griffoli.
BIS Appoints Digital Currency Expert Tommaso Mancini-Griffoli to Lead Innovation Hub
The Bank for International Settlements (BIS) is making strides in digital currency innovations by appointing Tommaso Mancini-Griffoli as the new head of its Innovation Hub, effective in March 2026.
Mancini-Griffoli, noted for his influence in the realm of digital currencies, is set to manage projects focusing on cross-border central bank digital currencies (CBDCs), tokenized assets, and state-of-the-art payment systems. The BIS emphasized that his role will enhance exploration of technological solutions in the central bank sector, promoting regulatory frameworks around digital currencies.
Currently serving as the assistant director at the International Monetary Fund (IMF), Mancini-Griffoli has been a key advocate for regulated digital currency frameworks, addressing risks associated with unregulated stablecoins.
This appointment arrives as the BIS ramp-ups significant projects within its global centers, particularly testing blockchain technologies and prototypes for digital currencies.
Championing Synthetic CBDCs
His perspectives on synthetic CBDCs suggest that Mancini-Griffoli advocates hybrid systems combining elements from both public and private sectors to ensure innovation while maintaining stability.
In 2020, he articulated that a public-private partnership model could significantly boost the private sector’s potential to innovate with blockchain-backed stablecoins.
Current Innovative Experiments by the BIS
The BIS Innovation Hub is presently engaged in several key experiments, including:
- The mBridge project for cross-border CBDC settlements,
- The Agora infrastructure for tokenized deposits, and
- Project Nexus for comprehensive payment systems.
These initiatives underscore the BIS’s commitment to redefining traditional finance by integrating blockchain technology.
Under Mancini-Griffoli’s leadership, the Innovation Hub is anticipated to fast-track various high-stake projects aimed at enhancing interoperability among CBDCs and broadening access to tokenized financial assets.
