Tokenised Finance in Spain: Blockchain and Payments

September 21, 2026 · Plaza Cripto

The European Central Bank has launched Pontes, a new infrastructure designed to connect blockchain-based financial markets with central bank money. With Spanish banking giant Santander among the initial participants, the development highlights how blockchain technology is moving beyond crypto trading and into mainstream financial infrastructure. As tokenisation, digital payments and international finance continue to evolve, security and access to flexible financial tools are becoming increasingly important for users and businesses. Kolan, OneKey and MyPal offer complementary solutions across this broader digital financial ecosystem.

SPAIN — September 21, 2026 —

Europe has entered another significant phase in the development of blockchain-based finance.

The European Central Bank (ECB) has launched Pontes, a new Eurosystem settlement solution designed to enable wholesale transactions involving tokenised assets to be settled in central bank money.

The initiative represents an important step in connecting traditional financial infrastructure with distributed ledger technology (DLT).

Among the financial institutions already onboarded to Pontes is Santander, alongside institutions including Deutsche Bank, ABANCA, Cecabank, Deka Bank and Société Générale.

For Spain, Santander’s participation places one of the country’s largest financial institutions within a European initiative focused on the practical integration of blockchain technology into financial markets.

The development also highlights a broader transformation taking place across Europe: blockchain is increasingly being explored not only as the infrastructure behind cryptocurrencies, but also as a technology for tokenised securities, settlement, payments and financial market infrastructure.

For users and businesses, this evolution creates a wider digital financial environment in which security, international payments and access to digital financial tools increasingly intersect.

Europe Connects Blockchain With Central Bank Money

Pontes has been designed to allow wholesale transactions involving tokenised assets to settle using central bank money.

According to the ECB, the platform connects market DLT platforms with the Eurosystem’s existing TARGET Services. Its initial capabilities are expected to expand over time, with enhanced functionality and longer operating hours being introduced progressively toward full implementation by 2028.

Tokenisation refers to representing financial assets in digital token form, generally using distributed ledger technology.

The potential applications extend across the financial lifecycle, including issuance, trading, settlement, custody and servicing.

By bringing these processes closer together through DLT, financial institutions can explore more automated and potentially more efficient ways of managing transactions.

The ECB has described Pontes as the first initiative within its broader strategy to make central bank money fit for an increasingly tokenised financial environment.

Santander Brings a Spanish Connection to Europe’s Blockchain Infrastructure

For Spain, the participation of Santander is particularly relevant.

Santander is among the initial market participants onboarded to Pontes, connecting a major Spanish banking institution to Europe’s emerging tokenised financial infrastructure.

The development illustrates how blockchain experimentation is no longer limited to specialist cryptocurrency companies.

Traditional financial institutions are increasingly exploring how DLT can be incorporated into established financial markets.

This shift is particularly significant because it changes the conversation around blockchain.

Instead of focusing exclusively on cryptocurrency prices or speculative trading, financial institutions are examining how blockchain can support the infrastructure behind financial assets themselves.

Tokenised securities, programmable transactions and blockchain-based settlement are becoming part of a wider discussion about the future architecture of European finance.

From Crypto Markets to Tokenised Financial Markets

The development of Pontes reflects a broader transition within the digital asset industry.

Blockchain technology can support more than cryptocurrencies.

It can also provide infrastructure for representing traditional assets digitally and coordinating transactions across different stages of the financial lifecycle.

The ECB has stated that tokenisation may allow multiple stages — from issuance and trading to settlement, custody and servicing — to be combined more efficiently, while smart contracts can support automation.

This means the boundaries between traditional finance and digital assets are becoming increasingly connected.

For businesses and individuals, the implications extend beyond investment.

Payments, international commerce, digital asset management and financial infrastructure are gradually becoming parts of the same broader digital ecosystem.

OneKey: Security Remains Important in a Tokenised Economy

As digital assets become more integrated into financial infrastructure, security remains an important consideration.

Institutional blockchain infrastructure and personal digital asset management represent different parts of the ecosystem.

For individual crypto users, the question of how assets and private keys are secured remains separate from the infrastructure used by banks and financial institutions.

OneKey provides hardware wallets designed to allow users to store and manage cryptocurrencies while maintaining direct control over their private keys.

Hardware-based self-custody can provide users with a dedicated environment for managing digital assets rather than relying exclusively on online platforms.

For users in Spain and across Europe holding Bitcoin, Ethereum and other digital assets, personal security can therefore remain an important component of participating in the evolving digital economy.

The growth of institutional blockchain infrastructure does not remove the importance of individual asset security. Instead, both represent different layers of the broader digital asset ecosystem.

Kolan: Supporting the International Side of Digital Finance

Blockchain innovation is also developing alongside another major transformation: the internationalisation of financial activity.

Spain has a growing population of freelancers, remote professionals, online businesses, e-commerce sellers and entrepreneurs who work with customers and partners across international markets.

Their financial requirements can extend beyond traditional domestic banking.

Receiving payments in USD or GBP, managing EUR transactions and handling international business activity can all become part of the same financial workflow.

This is where Kolan can complement the broader digital finance ecosystem.

Kolan provides access to accounts in currencies including USD, GBP and EUR, supporting users involved in international payments and cross-border financial activity.

For a Spanish freelancer working with a US client, a remote professional collaborating with a UK company or an e-commerce business serving customers internationally, access to multiple currencies can form an important part of managing global operations.

The development of tokenised finance and blockchain infrastructure is therefore taking place alongside a wider transformation in how individuals and businesses participate in the global economy.

MyPal: Connecting Digital Payments With Emerging Financial Use Cases

The evolution of blockchain also continues to expand the discussion around digital payments.

While cryptocurrency initially gained attention primarily as a digital asset and alternative financial instrument, the industry is increasingly exploring practical applications involving payments, financial services and digital commerce.

MyPal operates within this broader development by providing solutions focused on digital payments and emerging use cases involving digital assets.

For users participating in both traditional online commerce and the Web3 ecosystem, payment infrastructure can provide an important connection between digital assets and everyday financial activity.

The growing intersection between blockchain, payments and financial technology demonstrates that the future of digital finance may not be defined by a single asset or platform.

Instead, different technologies can operate across different layers of the same ecosystem.

Three Layers of an Increasingly Connected Digital Economy

The launch of Pontes demonstrates how European institutions are developing infrastructure for tokenised financial markets.

At the same time, individuals and businesses continue to require practical tools for managing digital assets and international financial activity.

These represent different needs within the same broader transformation.

A crypto user may prioritize security and self-custody.

A freelancer or international business may require access to multiple currencies and cross-border payments.

An entrepreneur participating in Web3 may be interested in digital payment infrastructure and emerging financial applications.

Kolan, OneKey and MyPal address different areas of this environment:

• Kolan — international accounts and multi-currency financial activity.
• OneKey — hardware-based digital asset security and self-custody.
• MyPal — digital payment solutions and emerging digital asset use cases.

Meanwhile, institutional initiatives such as Pontes demonstrate how blockchain infrastructure is being integrated into the European financial system.

Together, these developments illustrate a broader movement toward a financial ecosystem where blockchain, payments, digital assets and traditional financial infrastructure increasingly interact.

What Pontes Means for Spain’s Digital Finance Landscape

The launch of Pontes does not mean that traditional financial infrastructure is being replaced by blockchain.

Instead, the ECB’s initiative demonstrates an approach in which distributed ledger technology can be connected with established financial infrastructure.

The ECB has also announced preparatory work to invest a small portion of its own funds in tokenised securities, initially focusing on euro-denominated securities issued by euro area public-sector and European supranational institutions. These investments are intended to give the ECB practical experience across the investment lifecycle, with settlement through Pontes.

For Spain, the participation of Santander provides a direct connection between the country’s banking sector and this European experiment in tokenised finance.

It also reinforces a broader trend: digital assets are increasingly being discussed within the context of financial market infrastructure, payments and institutional finance, rather than solely as a standalone crypto market.

The Broader Convergence of Blockchain, Payments and Security

Europe’s development of tokenised financial infrastructure is creating a new layer within the digital economy.

Institutional initiatives such as Pontes focus on how tokenised assets can interact with central bank money.

Banks such as Santander are participating in the development of this infrastructure.

At the individual level, users continue to require secure ways to manage digital assets.

International professionals and businesses require financial tools that can support cross-border activity.

And digital payment platforms are exploring new ways to connect blockchain technology with everyday financial use cases.

These developments are not identical, but they are increasingly connected.

Blockchain infrastructure provides the technology.

Financial institutions provide market access and infrastructure.

Digital asset security protects individual holdings.

International payment solutions support global commerce.

Digital payment platforms explore practical applications.

Together, these layers are contributing to a more interconnected digital financial ecosystem.

Building a More Connected Digital Financial Ecosystem

The launch of Pontes marks another important step in Europe’s exploration of tokenised finance.

For Spain, Santander’s participation provides a direct link to this development and highlights the growing role of established financial institutions in the blockchain economy.

But the evolution of digital finance extends beyond institutional infrastructure.

As blockchain technology moves into financial markets, individuals and businesses will continue to need different tools for different purposes.

OneKey addresses digital asset security.

Kolan supports international financial activity.

MyPal explores the connection between digital payments and emerging digital asset use cases.

Together, these solutions form part of a broader ecosystem connecting blockchain infrastructure, digital asset security, international payments and financial innovation.

Explore the Digital Financial Ecosystem

Whether you are a crypto user, freelancer, remote professional, entrepreneur, e-commerce seller or international business in Spain, explore solutions designed to support different aspects of the modern digital economy.

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About Kolan, OneKey and MyPal

Kolan provides solutions designed to support international payments and access to currencies such as USD, GBP and EUR.

OneKey develops hardware wallets and digital asset security solutions designed to help users store and manage cryptocurrencies while maintaining control over their private keys.

MyPal develops solutions focused on digital payments and emerging financial use cases involving digital assets.

Together, these solutions form part of an evolving digital financial ecosystem connecting international payments, cryptocurrency, blockchain and Web3.