At a leadership conference speech on innovation governance and artificial intelligence, the Central Bank of the Republic of Kosovo set out its policy priorities for responsible innovation and AI in finance. Governor Ahmet Ismaili said the use of AI and other fast-moving technologies should support public trust, financial stability and the integrity of the financial system, and should be governed through transparency, accountability, explainability, data protection, cybersecurity and human oversight rather than replacing professional judgment. In that context, he linked digital transformation to Kosovo’s open and euroized economy and highlighted continued growth and diversification of the financial system, wider use of e-banking, POS terminals, digital wallets and electronic payment channels, and upgrades to the national payments infrastructure. He also pointed to progress on Kosovo’s integration into the Single Euro Payments Area, development of the TIPS Clone instant payments project, open banking initiatives, and modernization of the legal and regulatory framework for financial innovation. On supervisory priorities, he cited AI’s potential to strengthen data analysis, risk identification, fraud detection and cyber resilience, alongside the need for a safe regulatory environment, a framework for licensing and supervising crypto-asset service providers, and stronger measures against money laundering, terrorist financing and proliferation financing. Looking ahead, the governor said the central challenge is not only adopting new technologies but building the governance, skills, infrastructure and regulatory capacity to use them responsibly. For the central bank, that means continuing to modernize payment systems, advance risk-based supervision, strengthen cybersecurity and operational resilience, and invest in staff capabilities in data analysis, supervisory technology, financial innovation, cybersecurity and AI through cooperation with international partners and peer institutions.
Central Bank of the Republic of Kosovo2026-07-03
Central Bank of the Republic of Kosovo outlines responsible AI and financial innovation priorities including crypto asset oversight and payments modernization
In a conference speech, the Central Bank of the Republic of Kosovo said responsible governance of AI and financial innovation is necessary to protect public trust, financial stability and system integrity. The governor highlighted progress in digital payments, SEPA integration, TIPS Clone and open banking, while also pointing to priorities for crypto-asset supervision, AML and cybersecurity. He said the central bank will continue modernizing payments, strengthening risk-based supervision and building internal AI and technology capabilities.