In the previous article, we established the domain model of cross-border payments: SWIFT is just a messaging protocol, and actual value transfer occurs via localized double-entry mutations against pre-positioned Nostro accounts. For the software architect, this domain model presents a…
You need to pay a supplier in Tokyo. You open your banking app in New York, type in the supplier’s bank details, and hit send for $10,000. Three business days later, the supplier confirms they received the money. But they…
You are checking out of an online store. Below the familiar “Visa” and “Apple Pay” buttons is a new option: “Pay with Bank.” You click it. You are redirected away from the merchant and into a secure portal hosted by…
In the previous article, we examined the domestic batch rail: a freight-train architecture designed to move massive volumes of money by trading speed for computational efficiency. Batch rails rely on deferred settlement, fixed-width file parsing, and overnight bulk updates to avoid…
In the previous article, we examined how domestic batch rails move money. Batch rails trade speed for computational efficiency, while instant rails (like FedNow) trade deferred state for immediate finality. But both operate under a silent architectural assumption: liquidity is effectively infinite.If a million consumers send $500…
On Friday afternoon, you receive an email from your employer: “Your direct deposit has been processed.” You open your banking app. The money is not there. You check on Saturday. Still not there. It finally appears on Monday morning. The…
