BIS Appoints Digital Currency Expert to Lead Innovation Hub

The Bank for International Settlements has made a strategic move in the global digital currency landscape by appointing Tommaso Mancini-Griffoli, currently assistant director in the International Monetary Fund’s Monetary and Capital Markets Department, as the next head of the BIS Innovation Hub. The appointment, effective March 2026, places one of the world’s most prominent digital money economists at the helm of the BIS’s innovation efforts. Mancini-Griffoli brings extensive expertise from his IMF role where he leads work on payments and currencies, making him uniquely positioned to guide central banks through the complex transition to digital financial infrastructure.

Mancini-Griffoli’s mandate will include leading technological exploration within the central bank community, with particular focus on ongoing work regarding central bank digital currencies (CBDCs), tokenized assets, and new forms of market infrastructure. His appointment represents a significant commitment by the BIS to advance digital currency initiatives that prioritize regulation and public backing, reflecting his established position as a leading advocate for controlled digital money models. The timing of this appointment coincides with the BIS’s current advancement of major digital currency pilots testing cross-border CBDCs, tokenized deposits, and real-time payment rails.

The BIS is currently advancing multiple digital currency pilots that will form the core of Mancini-Griffoli’s incoming responsibilities. These initiatives include testing cross-border CBDCs, developing tokenized deposits, and implementing real-time payment rails—all critical components of the future global financial system. The appointment signals that the BIS intends to intensify its focus on these areas, leveraging Mancini-Griffoli’s deep understanding of both the technological and policy dimensions of digital currency implementation.

Under the new leadership, the Innovation Hub will continue exploring technological solutions for central banks worldwide, building on existing projects that address the practical challenges of digital currency deployment. The work on tokenized assets and deposits represents a crucial bridge between traditional finance and emerging digital frameworks, while the development of new market infrastructure aims to create more efficient and resilient financial systems. These efforts align with Mancini-Griffoli’s established advocacy for regulated digital money frameworks that maintain financial stability while embracing innovation.

Mancini-Griffoli’s appointment reinforces the BIS’s commitment to developing publicly-backed digital money alternatives while addressing the risks associated with unregulated stablecoins. Throughout his IMF tenure, he has consistently warned about the dangers of unregulated digital currencies and advocated for frameworks that ensure financial stability. This perspective will likely shape the Innovation Hub’s approach to digital currency development, emphasizing the importance of regulatory compliance and systemic safety.

The transition from IMF to BIS leadership represents a natural progression for Mancini-Griffoli, who has built his reputation on balancing technological innovation with necessary safeguards. His work at the IMF has positioned him as one of the institution’s most prominent voices on digital currency policy, particularly regarding the need for public sector involvement in digital money development. This background suggests that under his leadership, the BIS Innovation Hub will prioritize solutions that serve public interest while advancing technological capabilities in cross-border payments, settlement systems, and digital asset infrastructure.

The March 2026 effective date provides a transition period during which current digital currency pilots can continue while preparing for the strategic direction Mancini-Griffoli will bring. This timing allows for continuity in the BIS’s innovation agenda while setting the stage for accelerated development of central bank digital currencies and related technologies that could fundamentally reshape global finance in the coming years.