The Future of
Blockchain Settlement

E3 is a neutral settlement platform where banks build and own their complete settlement infrastructure via smart contracts. Banks define all policies, batching rules, and compliance logic. E3 provides the proving layer; banks own the system.

~30ms
Proof Per Batch
Custom
Batch Size Per Bank
100%
Bank-Owned

Current Problems

Traditional settlement systems are slow, expensive, and inflexible. Banks lack ownership of their infrastructure. E3 allows banks to build and own their complete settlement logic on secure, quantum-resistant infrastructure.

High Costs

Current SWIFT transfers cost $35-$50 per transaction. E3 dramatically reduces costs through bank-defined batching and amortized proofs across the entire batch.

Slow Settlement

Traditional systems take 3-5 days. E3 settles transactions in minutes to hours with configurable timing.

Security Risks

Current cryptography is vulnerable to quantum computers by 2030. E3 uses quantum-resistant ZK-STARK proofs.

Limited Fraud Protection

Manual dispute processes are slow and costly. E3 provides automated, smart-contract-driven reversals.

Proof Overhead

Per-transaction proving is inefficient. E3 generates one proof per batch (size determined by each bank) via intelligent batching.

Infrastructure Ownership

Banks depend on platform vendors with fixed policies. E3 lets banks build and own their complete settlement infrastructure via smart contracts.

Bank-Owned Infrastructure Architecture

E3 is a neutral settlement platform where banks build and own their own settlement infrastructure via smart contracts on Worker Nodes. E3 provides the rails and proving; banks define all the rules.

Bank-Operated

Worker Nodes

Host the bank's COMPLETE settlement infrastructure via bank-written smart contracts. Banks own and control all settlement logic, policies, batching rules, and compliance.

  • Banks write ALL smart contracts (policies, batching, compliance)
  • Infrastructure-as-code: Banks build their own system
  • Wraps existing core banking systems
  • Complete ownership and privacy
  • Batch accumulation per bank's rules
E3-Hosted

Queen Nodes

Neutral, policy-agnostic settlement layer. Generate ONE ZK-STARK proof per batch (size defined by each bank). Don't enforce policies—just prove batches are correct.

  • Batch-optimized proving: 1 proof per batch (any size)
  • Policy-agnostic: No rules, just math
  • Multi-bank batch aggregation
  • Quantum-resistant STARK proofs (~30ms per batch)
  • Cross-bank netting and settlement finality
Bank-Operated

Observer Nodes

Provide independent verification and audit of all settlement activity for complete transparency and trust.

  • Independent proof verification
  • Real-time audit trails
  • Anomaly detection
  • Regulatory compliance reporting
  • Cryptographic validation

How E3 Works

Bank-defined infrastructure with policy-agnostic proving. Banks write smart contracts on Worker Nodes defining all settlement logic.

1. Customer Initiates Payment

Transaction enters the bank's core banking system, which remains the source of truth for all account data.

2. Bank's Smart Contracts Validate

Worker Node executes the bank's own smart contracts: KYC rules, AML checks, fraud detection, compliance policies—all 100% bank-written code.

3. Bank-Defined Batching

Approved transactions accumulate according to the bank's batching rules (size, timing, risk tiers) defined in smart contracts.

4. Batch Submission

When the batch is ready per the bank's rules, Worker Node creates a cryptographic commitment (Merkle root) and submits it to Queen Nodes.

5. Policy-Agnostic Proving

Queen Nodes aggregate batches from all banks, perform netting, and generate ONE ZK-STARK proof validating the entire batch. No policy enforcement—just mathematical proof.

6. Independent Verification

Each bank's Observer Nodes independently verify the STARK proof, ensuring complete transparency and audit capability.

7. Settlement Finality

Settlement becomes final according to each bank's refund window logic (also defined in the bank's smart contracts). Worker Node syncs results back to core system.

Batch-Optimized Performance

Real benchmarks from our December 2025 proof-of-concept. Each bank defines their own batch size—one proof covers the entire batch, regardless of size.

Custom
Batch Size (Bank-Defined)
~29ms
Proof Generation Per Batch
~20KB
Proof Size Per Batch

Real-World Applications

Banks build their own custom settlement infrastructure on E3's neutral proving layer.

Bank A Builds Custom Settlement

Bank A writes smart contracts defining their settlement logic, policies, batching rules, and compliance—all owned by Bank A.

Cross-Border Consortium

5 European banks collaborate to build shared settlement infrastructure via joint smart contracts on a Worker Node.

Fintech Custom Infrastructure

A remittance fintech builds its own settlement system with aggressive batching and high-volume handling tailored to its business.

Tokenized Deposits

Bank A and Bank B each build their own tokenized deposit settlement—different logic, same proving layer.

RTGS Replacement

A central bank builds custom RTGS settlement infrastructure in smart contracts, replacing legacy systems.

Bank-Specific Compliance

Each bank writes smart contracts encoding its exact regulatory requirements—no one-size-fits-all policies.

Market Opportunity

E3 targets multiple converging markets where banks need secure, flexible settlement infrastructure.

$620B
Cross-Border Payments Market (2032)
$1-20B
E3 TAM: Cross-Border Settlement
$18.9T
Tokenized Assets Market (2033)
$2-100B
E3 TAM: Tokenized Asset Settlement
134
Countries Exploring CBDCs
$5-100B
E3 TAM: CBDC Settlement (2035)

Future Use Cases

E3 is a regulation-compliant platform with no technical boundaries. If your settlement logic can be expressed in smart contracts, it can run on E3—the possibilities are limitless.

Cross-Border B2B Payment Corridors (2026-2028)

Banks build corridor-specific settlement with aggressive batching (20,000 tx/s per corridor), real-time FX netting, and 10-minute finality. Market: $100B+ by 2030.

Tokenized Commercial Bank Deposits (2027-2029)

Bank A, Bank B, and Bank C tokenize deposits with instant inter-bank settlement and quantum-resistant proofs. Market: $38.7B by 2033.

Trade Finance & Supply Chain (2028-2032)

Consortiums build shared settlement with escrow smart contracts, multi-party netting, and batch settlement of 100,000+ invoices/day. Market: $200B+.

Cross-Border CBDC Settlement (2030-2035)

Central banks settle cross-border CBDC payments with atomic multi-currency settlement, full monetary sovereignty, and independent audit. Market: $1T+.

Tokenized Bonds & Securities (2029-2032)

Major asset managers enable instant T+0 settlement for tokenized funds with batch proving for high-volume trading. Market: $2-4T by 2030.

Programmable Money & DeFi Bridge (2032-2035)

Institutions build programmable money settlement with smart contracts for conditional payments, escrow, and automated netting. Market: $500B+.

Remittance Networks (2026-2028)

Fintechs build high-volume, low-cost settlement with batch sizes of 500,000+ transactions and 1-hour refund windows. Market: $50B+ annually.

Multi-Currency CBDC Network (2032-2035+)

Global network of 50+ CBDCs with atomic multi-party settlement across 10+ currencies in one batch. Market: $10T+ cross-border by 2035.

Tokenized Real Estate & Private Equity (2032-2035)

Platforms enable fractional ownership settlement with instant liquidity for illiquid assets. Market: $1-5T by 2035.

Market Adoption Timeline

E3's path from institutional pilots to global settlement standard

Phase 1

Institutional Pilots

2-5 banks or consortiums build settlement infrastructure on E3 for cross-border B2B, tokenized deposits, and remittances.

  • Goal: Prove E3 infrastructure at scale
  • Key metric: 10M+ transactions/day
Phase 2

Early Adopters

10-20 banks, fintechs, and stablecoin issuers building on E3 for trade finance, RTGS modernization, and tokenized bonds.

  • Goal: Establish E3 as credible alternative
  • Key metric: 500M+ transactions/day
Phase 3

Mainstream Adoption

50+ banks, multiple central banks (CBDC pilots), and asset managers enable CBDC cross-border settlement and tokenized securities.

  • Goal: Dominant institutional settlement infrastructure
  • Key metric: 5B+ transactions/day
Phase 4

Global Standard

100+ banks, 20+ CBDCs, global interoperability network for multi-currency CBDC settlement and tokenized real estate.

  • Goal: Global neutral settlement layer
  • Key metric: 50B+ transactions/day

Why E3

E3 is a neutral settlement platform where banks build and own their own settlement infrastructure via smart contracts on Worker Nodes. E3 provides the rails and proving; banks define all the rules.

Neutral Settlement Platform

E3 provides the rails and proving infrastructure. Banks build and own their complete settlement logic via smart contracts.

Infrastructure-as-Code

Settlement logic written by banks as smart contracts. Banks own and control everything.

Batch-Optimized Proving

One STARK proof covers an entire batch, regardless of size. 10-200× more efficient than per-transaction proving.

True Bank Ownership

Banks write ALL their settlement logic, policies, batching rules, and compliance in their own smart contracts.

Complete Privacy

Bank smart contracts and business logic are never seen by E3. Only cryptographic batch proofs are shared.

Policy-Agnostic Queen Nodes

Queen Nodes don't enforce policies—they prove batches are correct. All policies defined by banks.

No System Replacement

Worker Nodes wrap existing systems. Banks control everything via smart contracts; core unchanged.

Quantum-Resistant

STARK-based proving provides 5-10 year advantage before others must upgrade.

Linear Scaling

More banks × more Queen Nodes = linear throughput. No network congestion as adoption grows.

Why E3 Stands Apart

E3 is the only solution that lets banks build and own their complete settlement infrastructure while providing quantum-resistant batch proving.

vs. SWIFT / ACH / Fedwire

Infrastructure ownership: E3 lets banks own infrastructure via smart contracts; traditional platforms own and control the entire system with fixed policies.

Customization: E3 is infinitely customizable per bank; platforms enforce standard, one-size-fits-all policies.

Cost: E3 dramatically lower via bank-defined batching; traditional systems have high fixed costs.

vs. Public Blockchains

Ownership: E3 banks own and control their infrastructure privately; public blockchains are immutable and globally visible.

Privacy: E3 policies and logic are completely private; blockchain smart contracts are public and auditable by anyone.

Efficiency: E3 batch proving (custom sizes) vs. Bitcoin ~2,000 tx/block or Ethereum ~150 tx/block.

vs. ZK-Rollups (StarkNet, ZKSync)

Ownership: E3 banks write and own all infrastructure; rollups are pre-built platforms with fixed architectures.

Customization: E3 banks define everything in smart contracts; rollups have predefined execution environments.

Focus: E3 is purpose-built for institutional settlement; rollups are general-purpose blockchain scaling solutions.

vs. Other Institutional Projects

Ownership: E3 lets banks own complete infrastructure; others impose pre-built systems banks must adopt.

Flexibility: E3 is completely flexible—banks write all logic; others have fixed parameters and policies.

Proving: E3 is batch-optimized with quantum-resistant STARK proofs; many others use per-transaction proving or non-quantum-resistant cryptography.

Frequently Asked Questions

Common questions about building settlement infrastructure on E3. Click to reveal answers.

Can we keep using our existing core banking system?

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Yes—that's the point. Worker Nodes wrap your existing system. You write smart contracts on top that define new settlement logic, but your core system remains unchanged. E3 integrates non-invasively.

Do we need E3 to provide pre-built policies?

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No. E3 provides smart contract SDKs and templates as reference implementations. But you write your own policies. Banks have regulatory obligations requiring customized logic; one-size-fits-all doesn't work.

How do we ensure our smart contracts are correct?

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Banks are responsible for auditing their own smart contracts, just like any mission-critical software. E3 provides templates and best practices, but banks own the code and the risk.

Can E3 see our settlement logic?

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No. Your smart contracts run on your Worker Node. E3 only receives cryptographic batch commitments. Your policies are completely private.

Can we change our settlement logic later?

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Yes. You update your smart contracts on your Worker Node at any time. E3 infrastructure stays the same. You have complete control over your own system.

Do all banks use the same batching rules?

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No. Each bank writes its own batching logic in smart contracts. One bank can use aggressive batching (large batches, frequent), another can use conservative batching. E3 supports all approaches simultaneously.

Can we customize netting rules?

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Yes. You define netting logic in your smart contracts. E3's Queen Nodes execute whatever netting logic banks collectively agree on through their submitted batches.

What about conflicting policies between banks?

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Each bank's policies apply only to that bank's infrastructure. Banks interact at the batch level through E3's Queen Nodes. Policy conflicts are avoided by design—no global policy exists.

How is this better than a traditional platform?

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Traditional platforms (SWIFT, ACH, Ripple) impose system-wide policies all banks must follow. E3 lets each bank own its infrastructure and define its own policies. Banks can compete on settlement innovation, not just adopt a standard platform.

Build Your Own Settlement Infrastructure

Don't adopt a platform—own your infrastructure. E3 provides the neutral proving layer; you write the smart contracts defining your settlement logic.