The conversation around BRICS payment systems has shifted significantly from speculative discussions about a unified currency to the practical development of payment infrastructure. Market analysts, such as Marco Salzmann, emphasize the importance of payment rails, interoperability frameworks, and settlement mechanisms in addressing the technical challenges faced by the BRICS bloc.
Understanding the Current BRICS Payment Landscape
BRICS Pay has taken a pragmatic approach by leveraging USDT as a temporary bridge rather than a permanent fixture in the settlement process. This strategy mirrors the typical evolution of payment systems, where liquidity assets often serve as an interim solution until customized infrastructures take hold.
Salzmann highlights three key architectural layers essential to payment systems: distribution for user access, orchestration for routing and compliance, and settlement for liquidity management. As BRICS nations develop their payment infrastructure, projects like Velo have gained attention for their innovative contributions in these areas.
Velo’s Role in Multi-Asset Settlement
Through its ecosystem structure, Velo has implemented several notable components. Orbit Plus acts as the distribution layer, enabling user-friendly access to the payment network. Their native stablecoin, USDV, focuses on settlement operations with institutional-grade reserves and transparency. This includes tokenized treasury structures referencing partnerships like BlackRock BUIDL via Securitize.
Moreover, the integration of USD1 from World Liberty Financial into Velo’s system strengthens its liquidity pool, supporting multi-asset settlement strategies. These advancements prepare Velo to handle diverse transaction flows and position the platform as a potential interoperability layer between Western and Eastern payment systems.
Geographic Network Advantage
Velo’s robust connections to Asia’s payment corridors and its partnerships with Lightnet and CP Group offer significant advantages. Meanwhile, USD1’s integration creates opportunities in U.S. liquidity markets. These combined efforts could facilitate seamless interoperability between different global payment systems if macro-level infrastructures expand.
Additionally, Velo’s roadmap includes plans for XRP Ledger (XRPL) integration by 2026. This move would solidify their multi-rail approach, allowing transactions across multiple blockchain protocols—a trend becoming increasingly standard in global payment infrastructure design.
Building Toward Long-Term Adoption
Cross-border payment infrastructure development often follows a phased approach: building infrastructure first, driving network effects second, and securing widespread adoption third. Projects like Velo demonstrate the importance of stablecoins as transitional tools, evolving from interim liquidity instruments to fully integrated settlement solutions over time.
Velo’s alignment with these broader trends positions it as a key player in the future of BRICS-connected payment systems. Observing its evolution offers insights into how distribution, orchestration, and settlement layers are likely to shape cross-border payment frameworks in the coming years.
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If you are looking to better understand modern payment systems or invest in related technologies, consider resources like the Top Financial Strategies Guide to stay ahead in the evolving fintech space.