09 Feb, 2026
2 minutes
The global financial infrastructure is in the midst of one of its largest upgrades in decades - the migration to ISO 20022, a global standard for the electronic financial messaging industry. As banks, payment companies, and financial institutions upgrade their infrastructure, a common question from investors is: which cryptos are ISO 20022 compliant?
ISO 20022 is not a standard for cryptocurrencies. It is a financial messaging architecture that banks and payment systems use to communicate structured, data-intensive messages. The aim is to enhance transparency, interoperability, and automation in cross-border payments, securities, trade finance, and other financial business.
As blockchain networks continue to integrate with the traditional financial system, some crypto projects are being linked to this development. These blockchain networks are working on institutional payment systems, cross-border settlements, and financial interoperability - sectors that are directly impacted by the adoption of ISO 20022. This has sparked interest in the concept of an ISO 20022 compliant crypto list, which would refer to digital currencies that are perhaps better placed to integrate with banking systems.
When people ask which crypto is ISO 20022 compliant, XRP is always the first project that comes up. Ripple is a company that is primarily working on cross-border payments and connecting financial institutions, so it is right at the heart of all the talk about new banking infrastructure.
Ripple's enterprise payment products are built to work with banks and payment services that are adopting ISO 20022 messaging standards. Ripple's network is all about structured financial information, interoperability, and speed, which are all core concepts of the ISO 20022 upgrade.
XRP is a bridge asset in the Ripple network, facilitating the flow of funds between different currencies in cross-border payment channels. Since ISO 20022 is primarily concerned with enhancing the efficiency of cross-border transactions, XRP is often linked to this shift in global payment infrastructure.
ISO does not officially endorse XRP. Ripple's network is primarily geared towards institutions that support ISO 20022, hence the constant inclusion of XRP in the list of ISO 20022 compliant cryptos when responding to queries such as "what crypto is ISO 20022 compliant."
Cardano is frequently discussed when talking about crypto ISO 20022 compliant projects due to its emphasis on formal standards, research, and long-term financial infrastructure. Although Cardano was not initially created for banking messaging, its development philosophy aligns well with the structured and interoperable approach promoted by ISO 20022.
Cardano was created with a strong focus on regulatory-friendly architecture, digital identity, and security. This is particularly relevant for financial institutions looking to adopt ISO 20022 due to the importance of enriched transactional information and compliant frameworks.
The capabilities of Cardano's smart contracts can be used for financial application development that could work in conjunction with traditional systems. The way Cardano handles metadata, identity, and traceability is in line with the structured exchange of information that ISO 20022 promotes in the banking sector.
ADA itself is not specifically named as ISO compliant. The reason why Cardano keeps appearing in the list of cryptos that investors search for when they ask which crypto are ISO 20022 compliant is because of its emphasis on standards, compliance, and institutional-grade infrastructure.
Hedera is often brought up in discussions about ISO 20022 compliant crypto as it is designed with enterprise-grade performance and governance in mind. It is also more structurally similar to traditional financial systems due to its council-based approach and focus on reliability.
High transaction throughput and low latency
Predictable and transparent fees
Focus on secure and structured handling of data
Enterprise governance model
These are some of the key characteristics of SWIFT, which are in line with the principles of ISO 20022, which focuses on more detailed financial information and the ability for institutions to integrate with one another.
Asset and stablecoin tokenization
Payment and settlement solutions
Enterprise integrations with compliance-ready infrastructure
It is due to these applications that Hedera is frequently shown up in searches for which crypto is ISO 20022 compliant, and is included in the general ISO 20022 compliant crypto list. HBAR is not ISO-compliant. Its mention in the list of which crypto is ISO 20022 compliant is due to its enterprise nature and focus on financial infrastructure.
Stellar is one of the most commonly referenced projects when talking about ISO 20022 Compliant Cryptos, and this is largely due to their long-standing commitment to global payments and inclusion. This project was built with the intention of facilitating global transactions between individuals, institutions, and financial providers.
Built for Cross-Border Payments
Focus on Interoperability between Global Financial Systems
Supports Issuance of Fiat-Backed Tokens & Stablecoins
Built for Integrating with Banks & Remittance Providers
These attributes are very similar to what ISO 20022 is attempting to achieve with regards to standardizing and enhancing the quality of global financial transactional data.
Stellar has already been used for real-world payment corridors, stablecoin issuance, and financial service provider partnerships. Its technology is also compatible with structured transaction data, making it a natural fit in a discussion about what crypto coins are ISO 20022 compliant.
IOTA is sometimes mentioned in relation to ISO 20022 compliant crypto currencies due to their focus on machine-to-machine transactions, data integrity, and digital infrastructure. IOTA differs from other crypto currencies due to its use of a directed acyclic graph (DAG) structure, which was designed for high-performance environments.
Emphasis on data integrity and structured information exchange
Focus on machine-driven and automated transaction environments
Designed for integration with digital identity and enterprise systems
Support for use cases involving real-time data and microtransactions
This is in line with the overall trend and direction indicated by ISO 20022, which emphasizes richer financial messaging and automation in global payment systems.
IOTA has been involved in digital identity systems, supply chain management systems, and data exchange systems that relate to the modernization of financial infrastructure. As various sectors become more technology-driven and connected, IOTA networks are generally considered to be compatible with the kind of structured data exchange ISO 20022 makes possible.
MIOTA is not officially certified by ISO. The inclusion of MIOTA in the ISO 20022 compliant crypto list is based on the direction and enterprise use cases of MIOTA technology and is generally considered when answering the question of which crypto is ISO 20022 compliant.
XDC Network is often mentioned as part of the discussion on ISO 20022 compliant cryptos due to its strong emphasis on trade finance, enterprise payments, and real-world financial use cases. The network has been developed with interoperability with other blockchain systems and legacy financial systems as a key consideration.
Suitable for trade finance and cross-border transactions
Supports the tokenization of real-world financial assets
Focused on institutional and enterprise-level integrations
Developed with legacy financial systems and interoperability in mind
These factors position XDC as part of the same discussion as ISO 20022, with a goal of creating a standardized and modernized financial data exchange.
XDC has clearly positioned itself as a blockchain solution for the financial sector, which includes banks, financial services companies, and trade finance platforms. This makes XDC a likely candidate for the crypto that is ISO 20022 compliant, as its architecture is compatible with structured data and enterprise workflow, which are major themes for the adoption of ISO 20022.
XDC is not officially ISO compliant, and its inclusion in the crypto ISO 20022 compliant list can be attributed to its financial sector focus and enterprise partnerships.
Algorand is often referred to when discussing which crypto assets are ISO 20022 compliant as the blockchain was created with the aim of being a high-speed blockchain for financial systems.
As such, the blockchain architecture has a number of characteristics that make it suitable for interacting with modern financial systems.
Made with fast and final transactional systems in mind
Suitable for digital asset issuance and tokenization
Used for payment and government blockchain projects
Made with compliance-friendly infrastructure in mind
This is in line with the ISO 20022 aim of allowing more information to flow between financial systems.
Some of the projects that Algorand has been associated with include digital payment systems, tokenization of assets, and the experimentation of digital currencies with central banks. Given the emerging trends in the global financial data exchange facilitated by ISO 20022, Algorand, being an institutional-grade platform, is often linked to the emerging trends.
ALGO is not ISO certified. The basis of ALGO being included in the ISO 20022 compliant crypto list can be attributed to the fact that the cryptocurrency is associated with the financial sector.
Quant is one of the most frequently discussed projects when people inquire about which cryptocurrencies are ISO 20022 compliant, mainly because their entire mission is based on interoperability between blockchains and traditional financial systems. Quant is not a traditional Layer 1 cryptocurrency, as they are more focused on making different distributed ledgers and traditional financial systems compatible with each other using their Overledger technology.
Specializes in interoperability between blockchains and traditional financial systems
Designed to be compatible with traditional financial systems
Focuses on data transfer between blockchains
Acts as a bridge between traditional financial systems and blockchains
These features are in line with ISO 20022's goal of standardizing financial messages, thus facilitating better communication between financial institutions worldwide.
The technology developed by Quant is intended to allow banks, enterprises, and governments to interact with several blockchains without the need to select a single blockchain network. As ISO 20022 is concerned with the creation of a universal financial messaging language, the focus of Quant's technology on interoperability makes it appropriate to consider the company in discussions regarding crypto ISO 20022 compliant assets.
Verge is occasionally found in conversations related to ISO 20022 compliant crypto currencies, even though it differs substantially from other currencies on this list. Primarily, it is a privacy-focused cryptocurrency for fast and affordable P2P transactions.
Focus on digital payments and transaction efficiency
Built for use as a currency rather than for complex contracts
Focus on speed and low fees
These characteristics are tangentially related to the larger concept of modernizing payment systems, which is why XVG is occasionally found in conversations related to what crypto currencies are ISO 20022 compliant.
Unlike other similar blockchains, such as Ripple, Stellar, Quant, etc., Verge does not concentrate on banking infrastructure, messaging, and legacy financial system compatibility. Instead, the primary use case of the Verge blockchain is to facilitate peer-to-peer payments with enhanced privacy.
No cryptocurrency is formally ISO 20022 certified. But there are some projects that are usually linked to ISO 20022 because of their focus on financial messaging and cross-border payments. These include XRP, XLM, HBAR, XDC, QNT, ADA, ALGO, IOTA, and others that are usually found on an ISO 20022 compliant crypto list.
It is a reference to cryptocurrencies whose technology, partnerships, or use cases are aligned with the financial messaging standards that ISO 20022 brings to the table. It is not a reference to the cryptocurrency being formally ISO 20022 certified. Rather, it is a way of saying that the cryptocurrency's network might be more easily integrated with banks and financial institutions that are using ISO 20022 messaging standards.
Those projects that are most focused on cross-border payments and financial interoperability are usually the ones that are most commonly associated with banking applications. These include XRP, Stellar (XLM), Hedera (HBAR), XDC Network, and Quant when people ask which cryptocurrency is ISO 20022 compliant.
Investors think that when global banks move into ISO 20022, blockchain technologies that comply with financial data standards may gain traction with institutional investors. This is the main reason why searches for crypto coins that are ISO 20022 compliant have increased in recent years.
No. ISO 20022 is used for various types of financial messages, including securities, trade finance, and payment messages. This is the main reason why various types of blockchain technologies, including those that are not strictly payment systems, may be regarded as crypto ISO 20022 compliant.
