Ether

The native cryptocurrency of the Ethereum blockchain, Ether (ETH) is used to pay for transactions and execute smart contracts. As the second-largest digital asset by market cap, ETH is also a yield-bearing instrument via staking.

EXAMPLE

Franklin Templeton deployed its tokenized money market fund on Ethereum, using ETH to settle transactions across the network.

Relevant Roles and Functions

On-chain Role
Smart Contract Risk & Architecture Lead
Function
Blockchain Network Integrations
Node Operations
Smart Contract Infrastructure
Validator Participation
TradFi Equivalent
Core Banking Architecture
Distributed Systems
Payments Infrastructure
Technology

Related Sessions

Agentic AI and On-Chain Finance: Who Really Controls the Next Financial Stack?

Mar 20, 2026
2:45 pm – 3:15 pm (30 min)
Paul Brody
Paul Brody
Founder & CEO | Chairman
Nightfall Networks | Enterprise Ethereum Alliance
Rob Hadick
Rob Hadick
General Partner
Dragonfly
Holly Sraeel
Holly Sraeel
SVP, Strategy and Content, Live Media
American Banker / Arizent

Policy and Regulation: State of Play for Digital Assets and On-Chain Finance

Mar 20, 2026
1:40 pm – 2:15 pm (35 min)
Zunera Mazhar
Zunera Mazhar
Head of U.S. & Global Policy and Government Relations
The Digital Chamber
Kristin Smith
Kristin Smith
President
Solana Policy Institute
Brooke Ybarra
Brooke Ybarra
SVP, Innovation & Strategy
American Bankers Association
Nikhilesh “Nik” De
Nikhilesh “Nik” De
Managing Editor, Global Policy & Regulation
CoinDesk

Related Terms

Stablecoin

A digital token designed to maintain a stable value, typically pegged 1:1 to a fiat currency and backed by reserve assets or algorithmic mechanisms. Unlike tokenized deposits, stablecoins are generally issued outside the regulated banking system.

Example

Circle's USDC stablecoin settled over $400B in adjusted on-chain transactions in 2025, increasingly used by institutions for treasury and cross-border payments.

Tokenized Deposit

A bank-issued, blockchain-based representation of a commercial bank deposit that moves on distributed ledger infrastructure while remaining a liability of the issuing bank—distinct from a stablecoin, which is typically issued by a non-bank entity.

Example

Citi's tokenized deposit pilot allows corporate clients to move cash between subsidiaries in real time on a permissioned ledger, with the same credit standing as a traditional deposit.

Smart Contract

Self-executing code deployed on a blockchain that automatically enforces and carries out the terms of an agreement when predefined conditions are met—without requiring an intermediary to oversee performance.

Example

A smart contract can automatically release collateral when a loan is repaid, eliminating manual processing and reducing operational risk.

Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC)

A digital form of a sovereign currency issued directly by a central bank, representing a claim on the central bank rather than a commercial bank. Wholesale CBDCs target interbank settlement; retail CBDCs target consumer use.

Example

The Bank for International Settlements' Project mBridge tested wholesale CBDCs to replace correspondent banking in cross-border settlements between central banks.

Agentic Finance

The use of autonomous AI agents—capable of interpreting intent, evaluating market conditions, and executing multi-step financial operations—within on-chain environments. Agentic systems go beyond rule-based automation by exercising judgment within defined guardrails.

Example

An agentic treasury system at a global bank monitors real-time on-chain liquidity, automatically rebalancing stablecoin positions across chains based on yield and risk parameters set by human operators.