Chainlink's Cross-Chain Interoperability Protocol (CCIP) is now embedded in central bank projects across five jurisdictions. The deployments span Brazil, Hong Kong, Australia, the United Kingdom, and the mBridge nations — a group of central banks exploring cross-border payments. The projects focus on central bank digital currencies (CBDCs) and tokenized assets.
Which central banks are involved
Brazil's central bank is using CCIP as part of its digital real pilot. Hong Kong's Monetary Authority has integrated the protocol into its tokenized asset and CBDC experiments. The Reserve Bank of Australia is also leveraging CCIP for its own CBDC research. In the UK, the Bank of England's exploration of a digital pound includes Chainlink's technology. The mBridge project — a collaboration between the central banks of China, Thailand, the UAE, and Hong Kong — rounds out the list.
What CCIP does
CCIP is a blockchain-agnostic protocol that allows different networks to communicate and transfer data and value. For central banks, this means they can connect their CBDC systems with other blockchains and tokenized asset platforms. The protocol handles security and data verification across chains, a critical feature for financial institutions that require high reliability.
Central banks are moving beyond theoretical research into practical pilots for digital currencies. Embedding a commercial protocol like CCIP suggests these projects are serious about interoperability from the start. Tokenized assets — digital representations of real-world assets like bonds or real estate — are also a key use case. By using CCIP, central banks can potentially link their digital currencies with private-sector tokenized markets.
The adoption across five different countries and the mBridge group shows a broad interest in cross-chain solutions. Each project has its own timeline and goals, but they all share the need for a secure way to move data between ledgers.
Chainlink has not disclosed specific contract terms or project milestones. The company said the integrations are ongoing and that more details will emerge as the pilots progress.
