On 14 June 2026, Dr Lerong Lu, Reader in Law at King’s College London, appeared on an interview with LBC Radio with presenter Ali Miraj to discuss the latest development of cross-border digital payment systems.

The interview followed a recent Financial Times report on mBridge, a central bank digital currency platform involving monetary authorities in Asia and the Middle East. The discussion considered how such systems may improve the speed and cost of international payments and support greater use of digital currencies in cross-border trade.

Dr Lu explained that mBridge should be viewed primarily as part of a wider modernisation of international payment infrastructure, rather than as an immediate replacement for established global payment and currency systems. He also distinguished state-backed digital currency projects from privately issued cryptoassets and stablecoins.

The interview drew on Dr Lu’s research in international financial law, central bank digital currencies, FinTech regulation and cross-border payment systems.