A study prepared for the Eastern Economic Forum in 2026 by the business publication Vedomosti and the Roscongress Foundation examines how the global payment infrastructure is changing and which integration models may be in demand by the member countries.
AAntonina Levashenko, Head of the International Best Practices Analysis Department at the Gaidar Institute, as well as Ivan Ermokhin, Diana Golovanova and Olga Soldatkina, Researchers of this Department, have prepared this material.
Authors note that cross-border payments are becoming an important factor in economic sustainability. Their effectiveness is influenced not only by the speed and cost of transactions, but also by currency risks, system compatibility, and regulatory considerations.
In the context of BRICS, the report examines four scenarios for developing payment infrastructure: compatibility of national systems, a unified platform based on central bank digital currencies, regulated private tokens, and bilateral payment corridors.
Authors believe the most realistic approach is modular, that is, developing compatibility between national systems through common standards, payment gateways, and liquidity management mechanisms. This option allows for deeper integration without creating a single currency or centralized control center.