FinTech · Web3 infrastructure · ISO 20022
UCF — Universal Control Function
UCF is an asset- and network-agnostic control layer that enforces compliance decisions for tokenized-asset transactions on-chain and renders the resulting events as ISO 20022 messages used by financial institutions.
The need
Blockchain systems operate through addresses, tokens, and smart contracts, while banking infrastructure relies on accounts, blocks, and standardized messages. Institutional tokenized assets need a shared language for sanctions, limits, freezes, evidence, and regulatory reporting across these environments.
Our approach
UCF combines on-chain contracts that enforce rules before transfer, a read-only bridge that observes control events, and a reporting layer that renders their outcomes as ISO 20022 messages. The architecture is designed to work independently of a specific token or blockchain network.
The resulting solution
Supported by a working system and independently verifiable testnet transactions, UCF was selected as a finalist in the SWIFT Hackathon 2026 Technical Challenge and demonstrated a practical compliance bridge between traditional finance and tokenized-asset infrastructure.
How the solution works
01
Preventive on-chain enforcement
UCF applies sanctions screening, participant eligibility, transfer restrictions, and freezes before settlement. A non-compliant transfer is not recorded and reversed later; it is prevented from occurring in the first place.
02
Asset- and network-agnostic modules
Control logic is separated from the token contract. Shared modules can be built and audited once, then attached to the assets and networks that require them, avoiding repeated implementations of the same policy.
03
One event, verifiable audit evidence
Each control event records its transaction reference, block reference, applied rule component, reason code, and timestamp. Member institutions and auditors can reference the same immutable event rather than reconcile separate records.
04
An ISO 20022 bridge to institutional systems
A read-only integration layer observes on-chain events and maps their outcomes into ISO 20022-compatible messages that banking infrastructure can process through file, API, or messaging-based delivery paths.