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Swift appoints Michael Manos as Chief Information Officer. Published: June 16, 2026 Swift today announced the appointment of Michael Manos as Chief Information Officer (CIO). Manos will lead Swift's technology platform strategy including network, security and cloud capabilities, ensuring Swift's services and systems - over which 11,500 banks, financial institutions and corporates send the equivalent of world GDP every three days - remain secure, resilient and ready to support the company's innovations for the global financial community, uplifting the payments experience and harnessing the benefits of tokenisation. Manos will oversee Swift's focus on post-quantum cryptography, its response to frontier AI, and the company's multi-year roadmap to adopt new cryptographic standards while maintaining interoperability and uninterrupted service for the global financial industry as the threat landscape continues to evolve. Manos joins Swift from Dun & Bradstreet, a leading global provider of business decision-making data and analytics, where he served as Chief Technology Officer. He brings more than 30 years of experience driving technology-led change and execution, having held senior leadership roles at companies including Fiserv, AOL and Microsoft, leading initiatives across technology operations, infrastructure, platform automation and the development of payment, banking and e-commerce platforms. Manos graduated from the Illinois Institute of Technology with a Bachelor of Science degree in Computer Science and holds multiple technology industry patents. Manos replaces Cheri McGuire, who served as CTO since 2021 and is retiring. Javier Pérez-Tasso, Chief Executive Officer at Swift, said: "Michael's depth of experience leading large-scale, mission-critical technology organisations across platforms, data and security will be an asset for Swift and its global community. "As the financial industry and technological landscape continues to evolve, Michael will lead our efforts to continue to invest in the resilience and security of our platforms as the company embraces digital technologies and enables responsible innovation. I would also like to express my gratitude to Cheri and wish her the best for her retirement. Her deep industry experience and contributions to Swift's operational excellence, security and technology resilience have been invaluable over the last five years." Michael Manos, Chief Information Officer at Swift, said: "Swift sits at the heart of the global financial system and its network is fundamental to the functioning of the world economy. Its reputation for maintaining the highest levels of security and resiliency is well known and thousands of institutions place their trust in Swift every single day. As Swift works to ensure that regulated digital forms of value can be introduced securely and seamlessly into the ecosystem, I'm looking forward to working with our teams across the world to build on and maintain the trust of our community." Article Last Updated: June 16, 2026

Why SWIFT latest blockchain announcement could slow Ripple (XRP) adoption. SWIFT's latest blockchain announcement hit the market fast, and the reaction around XRP came almost immediately. The headline spread quickly, and it raised a serious question for anyone following Ripple closely. Does this new move from SWIFT change the future of XRP? That reaction makes sense at first glance. A closer look at what was actually announced tells a very different story. SWIFT plays a central role in global banking, but its function is often misunderstood. SWIFT does not move money across borders. It sends instructions between banks, and the actual funds travel through a chain of correspondent banks. That process introduces delays and extra costs. Ripple built a system that tackles that exact problem. Its On Demand Liquidity solution uses XRP as a bridge asset. Funds convert into XRP, move across borders within seconds, and convert into another currency without relying on intermediaries. That difference sits at the center of this entire discussion. What you'll learn SWIFT Go Plus adds blockchain without replacing existing banking structure. SWIFT introduced a new initiative called SWIFT Go Plus. The goal focuses on faster cross border payments and the integration of digital assets into its system. CryptoIntel Daily explains this point clearly in their breakdown. The system does not replace correspondent banking. Banks still rely on intermediaries. The blockchain element improves certain parts of the process, but the core structure remains unchanged. That detail removes much of the fear behind the announcement. Ripple's model works in a completely different way. It removes the need for intermediaries rather than improving them. Transactions settle in seconds using XRP as the bridge asset. There is no need for multiple banks to process a single transfer. That change reduces both time and cost. CryptoIntel Daily stresses this distinction several times. SWIFT improves the old system. Ripple builds a new one. That difference means both systems can exist at the same time without directly replacing each other. SWIFT blockchain move confirms growing Demand for faster settlement systems. Another factor deserves attention. SWIFT moving into blockchain signals something bigger about the direction of global finance. Banks want faster settlement. They want lower transaction costs. They want to explore digital assets as part of their infrastructure. CryptoIntel Daily explains that this development supports the broader idea behind XRP. The market is moving toward the type of system Ripple has been building for years. That perspective changes the tone of the announcement. Bank adoption choices may slow XRP growth timeline. The timeline could still change. Banks tend to move slowly, and familiarity plays a major role in their decisions. SWIFT already connects to nearly every major bank in the world. That existing relationship makes adoption easier, even if the solution is not the most efficient option available. CryptoIntel Daily notes that some banks may choose SWIFT first because it fits into their current systems. That choice could delay the pace of XRP adoption. The long term direction may remain the same, but the journey could take longer. The way this news spread reveals something important. The narrative quickly turned into claims that XRP had been replaced. CryptoIntel Daily points out that this interpretation does not match what SWIFT actually announced. The system introduces improvements to existing infrastructure. It does not eliminate the need for alternative solutions like Ripple. Market reactions often follow simplified narratives. Those narratives do not always reflect the full picture. XRP adoption still depends on real usage and scaling. XRP's future depends on adoption at scale. Ripple already has working corridors in regions such as Latin America and Southeast Asia. Transactions are taking place. Costs are being reduced. The system is already in use. SWIFT's blockchain initiative remains in a pilot phase. It still needs to prove itself in real-world conditions. CryptoIntel Daily explains that banks often use multiple systems depending on their needs. This market does not operate as a single winner environment. A realistic outlook points toward coexistence. Some banks will continue using SWIFT due to familiarity. Others will adopt Ripple for efficiency. Some will use both depending on the situation. CryptoIntel Daily frames it clearly. SWIFT did not replace XRP. It introduced another option that solves similar problems in a different way.