Central Bank Digital Currency Infrastructure Market Report 2026

The central bank digital currency infrastructure market size has grown exponentially in recent years. It will grow from $4.43 billion in 2025 to $5.93 billion in 2026 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 33.8%. The growth in the historic period can be attributed to increasing adoption of digital payments, growing smartphone penetration, rising demand for financial inclusion, expansion of banking infrastructure, increasing government initiatives for cashless economy.

The central bank digital currency infrastructure market size is expected to see exponential growth in the next few years. It will grow to $18.86 billion in 2030 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 33.6%. The growth in the forecast period can be attributed to growing central bank support for digital currency, rising cross-border payment requirements, increasing need for secure payment infrastructure, expansion of interoperable digital financial systems, growing fintech collaboration with governments. Major trends in the forecast period include technology advancements in blockchain and distributed ledger, innovations in digital payment platforms, developments in real-time settlement systems, research and developments in cyber-security and fraud prevention, technology-driven enhancements in scalability and resilience.

The rising adoption of digital banking services is anticipated to drive the expansion of the central bank digital currency infrastructure sector in the coming years. Digital banking services encompass the provision of banking products and financial services through digital platforms such as mobile applications, websites, and online portals, allowing customers to carry out transactions, access accounts, and manage their finances remotely and conveniently. The growing uptake of digital banking services is fueled by the demand for seamless, on-the-go access to financial services with improved speed, convenience, and security. Central bank digital currency infrastructure supports digital banking services by facilitating secure, real-time, and cost-efficient digital transactions backed by central banks. It enhances financial inclusion, payment efficiency, and interoperability across modern digital financial ecosystems. For example, in April 2024, according to UK Finance, a UK-based trade association, the share of digital-only bank accounts rose to 36% in 2024, up from 24% in 2023. Consequently, the increasing adoption of digital banking services is propelling the growth of the multivendor central bank digital currency infrastructure sector.

Major companies in the central bank digital currency infrastructure sector are emphasizing technological innovation, including integrated digital payment platforms, to improve transaction efficiency, promote financial inclusion, and enhance cross-border payment capabilities. These platforms facilitate secure, instant, and interoperable financial transactions while supporting regulatory compliance and fostering innovation within the financial ecosystem. For example, in February 2023, the Central Bank of the UAE (CBUAE), a UAE-based financial regulatory authority, introduced the Financial Infrastructure Transformation (FIT) Programme. This extensive initiative features the Digital Dirham project, which involves creating a CBDC infrastructure for both wholesale and retail applications. The programme includes a real-time payment platform and digital settlement infrastructure, allowing seamless and instantaneous domestic and cross-border transactions without intermediary risk. It also integrates robust cybersecurity measures and emphasizes agile regulatory frameworks, enhancing financial system resilience and lowering long-term operational costs for banks and financial service providers.

In October 2025, Mastercard, a US-based provider of payment technology solutions, formed a partnership with Airstar Bank Limited and KASIKORNBANK Public Company Limited (KBank). Through this collaboration, Mastercard seeks to explore the application of e-HKD and tokenized deposits for cross-border supply chain finance, improving payment efficiency, transparency, liquidity, and resilience across multi-tier supplier networks. Airstar Bank Limited is a Hong Kong-based digital commercial bank, while KASIKORNBANK Public Company Limited is a Thailand-based commercial bank.

Major companies operating in the central bank digital currency infrastructure market are Tata Consultancy Services Limited, Giesecke+Devrient GmbH, Persistent Systems Limited, Ripple Labs Inc., Consensys Software Inc., Sarvatra Technologies Private Limited, R3 LLC, Prodevans Technologies (Pvt) Ltd., Soramitsu Co. Ltd., Elchai Group, HashCash Consultants LLC, Bitt Inc., Spydra Technologies Pvt. Ltd., EMTECH, DigiDoe, Mindgate Solutions Pvt. Ltd., WadzPay, Partior, Blocktech Brew, Hedera Hashgraph LLC.

North America was the largest region in the central bank digital currency infrastructure market in 2025. Asia-Pacific is expected to be the fastest-growing region in the forecast period. The regions covered in the central bank digital currency infrastructure market report are Asia-Pacific, South East Asia, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, North America, South America, Middle East, Africa. The countries covered in the central bank digital currency infrastructure market report are Australia, Brazil, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Japan, Taiwan, Russia, South Korea, UK, USA, Canada, Italy, Spain.

Note that the outlook for this market is being affected by rapid changes in trade relations and tariffs globally. The report will be updated prior to delivery to reflect the latest status, including revised forecasts and quantified impact analysis. The report’s Recommendations and Conclusions sections will be updated to give strategies for entities dealing with the fast-moving international environment.

Tariffs have affected the central bank digital currency infrastructure market by influencing the cost of hardware components such as secure servers, cryptographic modules, and networking devices. higher tariffs have increased production and deployment costs, particularly impacting regions like asia-pacific where manufacturing of these components is concentrated. software and cloud-based platforms have been moderately affected due to lower import dependency. positively, tariffs are encouraging local manufacturing and innovation in hardware and software solutions, creating opportunities for domestic suppliers to participate in cbdc infrastructure projects.

Central bank digital currency infrastructure encompasses the technological and operational framework that facilitates the creation, issuance, distribution, and management of a digital currency regulated by a central bank. It includes secure digital platforms, cryptographic systems, and transaction networks built to enable real-time, transparent, and scalable currency operations. This infrastructure guarantees that digital currency operates reliably within a fully regulated monetary ecosystem while upholding trust, security, and efficiency.

The main components of central bank digital currency infrastructure include hardware, software, and services. Hardware consists of systems that process, support, and secure digital currency operations. Deployment includes on-premises and cloud-based models. Applications include retail payments, wholesale payments, cross-border transactions, government payments, and others, used by central banks, commercial banks, fintech institutions, and others.

The central bank digital currency infrastructure market consists of revenues earned by entities by providing services such as system integration, cybersecurity services, digital identity verification, blockchain development services, and regulatory compliance support. The market value includes the value of related goods sold by the service provider or included within the service offering. The central bank digital currency infrastructure market also includes sales of secure servers, hardware security modules, networking equipment, data storage devices, and biometric authentication devices. Values in this market are ‘factory gate’ values, that is the value of goods sold by the manufacturers or creators of the goods, whether to other entities (including downstream manufacturers, wholesalers, distributors and retailers) or directly to end customers. The value of goods in this market includes related services sold by the creators of the goods.

The market value is defined as the revenues that enterprises gain from the sale of goods and/or services within the specified market and geography through sales, grants, or donations in terms of the currency (in USD unless otherwise specified).

The revenues for a specified geography are consumption values that are revenues generated by organizations in the specified geography within the market, irrespective of where they are produced. It does not include revenues from resales along the supply chain, either further along the supply chain or as part of other products.

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