Blockchain, Artificial Intelligence and Digital Money: A New Era of Financial

In today’s digital world, where information travels across the globe in seconds and autonomous systems powered by artificial intelligence are already in use, cross-border payments remain slow, costly, and often limited in accessibility. What new opportunities do blockchain technology and digital money create for rethinking international payment systems, and how can they address the limitations of existing infrastructure?

We talked to Artur Kartshikyan, founder of Aeda and blockchain partner of the Doing Digital Forum, who shares his perspective on next-generation payment infrastructure and the role of Aeda Wallet.

-What are the key challenges in today’s global payment systems?

-Despite rapid technological advancement, cross-border payments remain slow, expensive, and not universally accessible. A significant portion of these transactions is still processed through SWIFT, which connects thousands of financial institutions across more than 200 countries.

The SWIFT network and correspondent banking infrastructure were developed decades ago. While user interfaces and customer experience have improved, the underlying settlement mechanisms have seen limited change.

As a result, all three key participants in the system, banks, businesses, and individuals, face its limitations. Banks pre-fund capital in correspondent accounts, where it often remains underutilized. Businesses frequently wait 3–5 days for international transfers to settle, incurring additional costs and intermediary fees along the way. Individuals, such as migrant workers sending money home, often face relatively high fees, sometimes reaching several percent, largely due to the cost structure of the underlying infrastructure rather than transaction risk.

This is not a technological problem; the technology already exists. It is an infrastructure problem, and that is what needs to evolve.

–What does next-generation payment infrastructure look like in practice?

-In recent years, three key technologies have emerged that are not only transforming but enabling a new infrastructure model.

First, digital money. Euro- and dollar-denominated stablecoins, backed by fiat currency, can settle significantly faster—often within seconds rather than days. They represent programmable financial instruments, with growing real-world application. From a regulatory perspective, the market is still evolving, although several issuers in the US and Europe already operate within established legal frameworks.

Second, direct connectivity enabled by blockchain. Instead of transactions moving through multiple correspondent banks, each adding time and cost, licensed financial institutions can connect more directly, reducing the number of intermediaries involved. This can help lower costs and shorten settlement times.

Third, artificial intelligence. Systems can analyze multiple transaction routes in real time and select the most efficient option based on speed, cost, and reliability. AI also improves risk assessment, supports fraud detection, and enables process automation.

Together, these elements are gradually transforming payment infrastructure into a more data-driven and interconnected network, where intelligent systems optimize transaction flows.

–What structural factors are driving fragmentation across financial systems?

-The issue is structural and, in many cases, deepening. Financial institutions on opposite sides of a border are often unable to connect directly, even when both sides have platforms and demand. The gap lies in the absence of effective connectivity.

Fragmentation is increasing as banks reduce their presence in certain corridors due to cost and risk considerations, regulatory requirements become more complex across jurisdictions, and existing systems remain difficult to integrate.

A relevant example is the corridor between the EU and US on one side, and Eastern Europe and Central Asia on the other. Demand exists, yet the infrastructure serving these flows remains underdeveloped.

As this fragmentation is gradually addressed, the impact could be significant. New connections can emerge, businesses can access new markets, and individuals can benefit from broader financial access.

–What should regulators, banks, and investors understand about this shift; and where does Aeda fit in?

-Digital money, artificial intelligence, and blockchain settlement technologies are no longer emerging trends—they are increasingly integrated into financial systems. This shift is often described as FinTech 3.0: a transition toward programmable, data-driven, and on-chain wallet-based financial and settlement infrastructure.

In this context, a new infrastructure layer is emerging, one that enables more direct and efficient interaction between financial systems, particularly in corridors where connectivity has historically been limited.

Aeda focuses on this layer, developing wallet-based infrastructure between the EU, the US, and Eastern Europe and Central Asia. The goal is to simplify financial connectivity and reduce the complexity of multi-layered processes.

The infrastructure being built over the next two to three years will shape how digital money moves across borders in the decade ahead. Aeda aims to be a meaningful participant in this evolution.

The Doing Digital Forum, entitled “Bridging Platforms and Economies” this year, will be held on April 8 at Dvin Hall in Yerevan. Since its launch in 2023, DDF has brought together over 60 prominent speakers and more than 3,000 participants from Armenia, the United Kingdom, the United States, the UAE, Germany, Australia, and the CIS countries. The forum is organized by SPRING PR Company, with Visa serving as the Innovation Partner, imID as the Digital Identity Partner, aeda as the Blockchain Partner, Zangezur Copper Molybdenum Combine as the Industrial Transformation Partner, and Freedom Broker Armenia as the Investment partner.