The Bank of Israel held a “Payments in the New Age” conference bringing together senior representatives from the financial system, regulators, fintech firms, payment infrastructure operators, academia and international guests to discuss developments shaping payments in Israel and globally and their implications for innovation, competition, efficiency and financial stability. Governor Prof. Amir Yaron opened the event with a focus on modernising national payments infrastructure, improving efficiency and deepening competition, alongside alignment with international standards. Ofer Golan, Head of the Bank of Israel’s Payment and Settlement Systems Department, set out the Department’s overall strategic plan for the next five years, including policy principles, modernisation measures and regulatory and technological steps aimed at enabling an advanced, open, secure and efficient payments infrastructure. Conference sessions covered regulatory cooperation and competition in payments, implementation of ISO 20022 in the ZAHAV system, account-to-account payment trends, cross-border payments work led internationally by the Bank for International Settlements and Project Agora, cash usage in the digital economy, and fintech innovation and consumer protection.
Bank of Israel 2025-12-01
Bank of Israel presents five-year plan to modernise Israel’s payments infrastructure at Payments in the New Age conference
The Bank of Israel hosted the “Payments in the New Age” conference, where Governor Prof. Amir Yaron emphasized modernizing national payments infrastructure to enhance efficiency and competition. Ofer Golan outlined a five-year strategic plan focusing on regulatory and technological advancements for a secure and efficient payments system, with discussions on topics such as ISO 20022 implementation, cross-border payments, and fintech innovation.