Emirates NBD has launched real-time, blockchain-based cross-border US dollar payments through the Partior network, becoming the first financial institution in the Middle East, North Africa and Türkiye region to activate the capability on Partior’s infrastructure.
The service follows a successful live US dollar transaction in which J.P. Morgan acted as both the settlement bank and the beneficiary bank. Emirates NBD is now making the payment capability available to corporate and institutional clients whose beneficiaries hold eligible accounts at J.P. Morgan.
The launch gives those clients a new channel for completing qualifying dollar payments without waiting for the sequential processing associated with conventional cross-border banking arrangements. Partior operates a shared, blockchain-based clearing and settlement infrastructure designed to provide participating banks with real-time transaction processing and payment finality.
Emirates NBD described the rollout as the first stage of a broader expansion plan. The bank intends to connect with additional institutions and extend the service across more currencies and settlement corridors as participation in the network grows.
At launch, the service centers on US dollar transfers involving J.P. Morgan beneficiary accounts. Its longer-term significance will depend on how quickly Emirates NBD and Partior can bring more banks, currencies and usable payment routes into the network.
Emirates NBD–Partior Partnership Goes Live
The development builds on an agreement announced in October 2024, when Emirates NBD said it planned to join Partior and explore participation in the company’s blockchain-based clearing and settlement platform.
Under that earlier plan, the bank expected to become a settlement institution on the network for the UAE dirham, Saudi riyal and Indian rupee. It also intended to participate in major foreign currencies and was evaluating an equity investment in Partior. The latest announcement confirms that the relationship has progressed beyond technical exploration, beginning with live US dollar activity.
Anith Daniel, Group Head of Transaction Banking Services at Emirates NBD, said: "As the needs of our corporate and institutional clients evolve, we continue to deliver innovative solutions that create value for their businesses. Moving from partnership to live execution on the Partior network enables us to offer faster USD settlement for J.P. Morgan beneficiaries, supporting more efficient treasury operations for our clients. This launch reflects our ability to deploy payment solutions that are secure, scalable and proven in live cross-border execution with global counterparties."
The practical appeal for corporate treasury teams lies in the combination of speed and visibility. Cross-border payments can involve several institutions, different operating hours and separate confirmation processes. A shared settlement network can reduce the need for participating banks to exchange and reconcile a series of disconnected messages before a payment is considered complete.
Emirates NBD has not claimed that Partior will replace all of its existing cross-border payment channels. The network instead adds a blockchain-based settlement route for supported transactions, operating alongside established banking infrastructure. Adoption is likely to proceed incrementally because both the sending and receiving sides of a payment must be connected to the relevant network and settlement arrangement.
Partior Expands Its Institutional Network
Partior was incorporated in 2021 with DBS Bank, J.P. Morgan, Standard Chartered and Temasek as its founding shareholders. Other investors have since supported the company’s expansion.
The network is designed as a permissioned institutional platform rather than a public cryptocurrency payment system. Participating financial institutions use blockchain infrastructure to coordinate the clearing and settlement of commercial bank money across a shared ledger. Customers are not required to send cryptocurrency or interact directly with a public blockchain.
Partior says its infrastructure supports continuous multi-currency clearing and settlement, real-time payment finality, payment pre-validation and improved visibility over liquidity. Its aim is to reduce operational friction created when payment instructions and settlement move through separate systems or intermediary institutions.
DBS, one of Partior’s founders, has described the platform as an open industry network that can complement existing real-time gross settlement and domestic payment systems. DBS documentation also notes that banks can join the network to access real-time, cross-border, multi-currency payment capabilities.
Humphrey Valenbreder, Chief Executive Officer at Partior, said: "We are combining Emirates NBD’s regional strength with our blockchain-based clearing and settlement infrastructure to support more efficient global payments. This gives institutions greater speed and transparency in how transactions are processed. The focus now is on expanding participation across currencies and markets as more banks connect and transact on the network.”
Emirates NBD’s launch provides Partior with an operating foothold through a major Middle Eastern banking group and gives the Dubai-based lender a direct role in the gradual development of blockchain-based institutional settlement.
