The Bank for International Settlements Innovation Hub has released the Project FuSSE report, detailing a proof of concept for a “Fully Scalable Settlement Engine” that explores how future payment and settlement systems could be built to be more flexible, scalable and secure amid rising digital payment volumes, rapid technology change and emerging quantum-computing risks. The prototype used open-source tools and a modular, microservices-based architecture with cloud-native design patterns including containerisation, stateless processing and event-driven messaging, allowing components to be scaled, updated or replaced independently. Cryptographic services were isolated as a separate module to support cryptographic agility, including the ability to adopt post-quantum cryptography standards. Testing showed throughput of up to 10,000 transactions per second and more efficient scaling, requiring roughly 2.5–3.8 times more resources for a fourfold increase in throughput, while also highlighting operational complexity and an expanded cyber-attack surface that would need to be managed through adaptable governance, certification and incident-response frameworks. The project was conducted with the Inter-American Development Bank, the Central Bank of Chile and the Bank of Canada.
Bank for International Settlements - Innovation Hub 2026-01-29
Bank for International Settlements Innovation Hub publishes Project FuSSE report showing modular settlement prototype handling 10,000 transactions per second
The Bank for International Settlements Innovation Hub released the Project FuSSE report, showcasing a proof of concept for a "Fully Scalable Settlement Engine" to enhance future payment systems amid digital payment growth and quantum-computing risks. Developed with the Inter-American Development Bank, the Central Bank of Chile, and the Bank of Canada, the prototype demonstrated high transaction throughput and efficient scaling but highlighted increased operational complexity and cyber-attack vulnerabilities.