Cambodia vs United States · Real-time payment systems compared
| Capability | Bakong | FedNow |
|---|---|---|
| QR Code Payments | ✓ | — |
| Wallet Support | ✓ | — |
| 24/7 Availability | ✓ | ✓ |
| Cross-Border | ✓ | — |
| ISO 20022 | — | ✓ |
| Request to Pay | — | ✓ |
| Open API | ◐ | ✓ |
| Alias/Proxy | ✓ | — |
Cambodia's national payment platform launched by the National Bank of Cambodia in October 2020, built on a permissioned Hyperledger Iroha DLT with an integrated central-bank-issued digital tenge equivalent in both KHR and USD. Bakong enables 24/7 interbank fund transfers, QR-code retail payments via the KHQR standard, and P2P transfers. Notable for its dual-currency design (aimed at supporting the government's promotion of the riel in a heavily dollarised economy) and its extensive cross-border interoperability with Thailand's PromptPay, Laos' LAPNet, Vietnam's NAPAS and India's UPI.
The Federal Reserve's instant payment service enabling US banks and credit unions to send and receive payments in seconds, 24/7/365. Launched in July 2023, FedNow is the first new Fed payment rail in 50 years and aims to democratise instant payments by giving all 10,000+ US depository institutions direct access (unlike the private-sector RTP). Supports credit transfers up to $500K with plans to add request-for-payment and other features. Note: FedNow shows extreme growth rates as it scales from a low base — value jumped 35x in Q3 2024 as larger institutions onboarded, which is typical for newly launched payment systems.