The National Bank of Georgia (NBG) is working on pilot projects for the digital lari, NBG President Natia Turnava said at the Tbilisi Financial Summit. She added that the central bank is also exploring tokenization, stablecoins and other financial technology innovations.
Turnava said the NBG’s mandate extends beyond maintaining price and financial stability to developing payment infrastructure that serves as a strategic asset for the wider region. Current initiatives include modernizing real-time settlement systems and implementing the Real-Time Gross Settlement (RTGS) payment system, with support from international donors, including the World Bank.
The central bank is also developing regulatory frameworks covering virtual assets, the initial issuance of stablecoins and open banking. In cooperation with relevant government agencies, it is exploring ways to support tokenization and advance digital financial projects.
“Our goal is for Georgia to become not simply a financial hub, but a hub for new financial technologies,” Turnava said. She added that modern financial services could strengthen international financial connectivity, noting that the summit brought together regulators from countries across the region to discuss shared projects and challenges.
