U.S. regional banks building tokenized deposit network on ZKsync to rival stablecoins

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The Cari Network is targeting a 2026 rollout arsenic banks trial issuance, transfers and redemption of integer deposits. Participating banks see Huntington Bancshares, First Horizon, M&T Bank, KeyCorp and Old National Bancorp.

Mar 17, 2026, 1:42 p.m.

A radical of U.S. determination banks is processing the Cari Network, a tokenized deposit level built connected ZKsync, a layer-2 network, arsenic lenders question a regulated way to modernize integer payments.

The network, announced Tuesday, is being developed with banks including Huntington Bancshares, First Horizon, M&T Bank, KeyCorp and Old National Bancorp. It’s designed to fto banks crook lawsuit deposits into integer tokens that tin determination instantly betwixt institutions — without those funds ever leaving the banking system.

That’s a cardinal favoritism from stablecoins, which are often issued by nonbank companies. Cari says its tokens volition inactive correspond regular slope deposits, meaning they enactment connected banks’ equilibrium sheets and stay taxable to existing regulations and FDIC insurance.

Under the hood, the strategy volition tally connected “Prividium”, which is simply a private, permissioned blockchain built by Matter Labs, the main developer steadfast gathering the ZKsync network. Only approved participants — similar banks — tin usage it, and transactions are designed to beryllium some accelerated and backstage portion inactive allowing regulators to audit enactment erstwhile needed.

The effort reflects a increasing propulsion by banks to vie with crypto-native outgo systems by offering akin velocity and round-the-clock settlement, but wrong acquainted regulatory guardrails.

The Mid-Size Bank Coalition of America has backed the project, according to a blog post, highlighting determination lenders’ involvement successful upgrading payments infrastructure without risking a nonaccomplishment of deposits to newer integer alternatives.

The Cari web volition rotation retired much broadly successful 2026, and the banks progressive volition trial however these tokenized deposits are created, transferred betwixt parties and converted backmost into regular U.S. dollars.

“Banks should beryllium starring the adjacent signifier of integer money, not reacting to it,” said Cari CEO Gene Ludwig.

Matter Labs CEO Alex Gluchowski added that the task shows however banks tin usage blockchain exertion portion inactive gathering privateness and compliance requirements.

“Financial infrastructure is undergoing the aforesaid displacement computing went done decades ago, from siloed databases to shared, programmable infrastructure,” Gluchowski said successful the blog post. “With Prividium, banks tin contented and determination deposits connected blockchain infrastructure portion preserving the privacy, compliance, and power required by regulated institutions.”

Read more: Deutsche Bank's L2 Blockchain to Be 'Public and Permissioned,' Says Tech Partner

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