U.S. regional banks building tokenized deposit network on ZKsync to rival stablecoins

Market Intelligence Analysis

AI-Powered 70% GROQ-LLAMA-3.3-70B-VERSATILE
Why This Matters

U.S. regional banks are developing a tokenized deposit network on ZKsync, aiming to rival stablecoins with a 2026 rollout, which could impact the demand for traditional stablecoins and influence the broader crypto market. This move may reflect a shift in the banking sector's approach to digital assets. The network, called the Cari Network, involves several major banks, including Huntington Bancshares, First Horizon, and M&T Bank.

Market Context

The introduction of a tokenized deposit network by U.S. regional banks could potentially decrease the demand for stablecoins, such as USDT and USDC, and may lead to a decrease in their market capitalization. This development could also lead to increased adoption of blockchain technology in the traditional banking sector, potentially benefiting assets like ETH, which underlies the ZKsync platform.

Sentiment
Neutral
AI Confidence
70%
Time Horizon
Medium Term
Affected Symbols

Article Context

Note: This is a brief excerpt for context. Click below to read the full article on the original source.

The Cari Network is targeting a 2026 rollout as banks test issuance, transfers and redemption of digital deposits. Participating banks include Huntington Bancshares, First Horizon, M&T Bank, KeyCorp and Old National Bancorp.

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AI Evidence

What our AI predicted from this news — tracked and scored against the real market move.

Pending evaluation

  • groq-llama-3.3-70b-versatile ETH Neutral Confidence: 70%

Logged at publication, scored automatically once the window closes — never edited.

AI Breakdown

Summary

U.S. regional banks are developing a tokenized deposit network on ZKsync, aiming to rival stablecoins with a 2026 rollout, which could impact the demand for traditional stablecoins and influence the broader crypto market. This move may reflect a shift in the banking sector's approach to digital assets. The network, called the Cari Network, involves several major banks, including Huntington Bancshares, First Horizon, and M&T Bank.

Market Context

The introduction of a tokenized deposit network by U.S. regional banks could potentially decrease the demand for stablecoins, such as USDT and USDC, and may lead to a decrease in their market capitalization. This development could also lead to increased adoption of blockchain technology in the traditional banking sector, potentially benefiting assets like ETH, which underlies the ZKsync platform.

Key Drivers

  • Tokenized deposit network rollout
  • Banking sector adoption of blockchain technology
  • Potential decrease in stablecoin demand

Risks

  • Regulatory hurdles for the Cari Network
  • Technical challenges in implementing the tokenized deposit system
  • Potential stablecoin market backlash

Time Horizon

Medium Term

Original article published by CoinDesk on March 17, 2026.
Analysis and insights provided by AnalystMarkets AI.