# CENTROlink

> Source: https://docs.barcoder.ai/docs/standards/centrolink
> research date 2026-05-29 · extracted at 2026-10-04
> Publisher: Barcoder — encyclopedia of QR, barcode and payment-code standards

Specifications:
- [CENTROlink — Bank of Lithuania](https://www.lb.lt/en/centrolink)
- [CENTROlink instant-payments era — Bank of Lithuania](https://www.lb.lt/en/news/payment-system-centrolink-marks-instant-payments-era-in-lithuania)
- [SEPA via CENTROlink — Advapay](https://advapay.eu/the-way-to-sepa-with-centrolink-participants-connection-benefits/)

## Overview

> **Note on classification.** This entry was originally bucketed as a QR standard, but centrolink is **not a QR-symbol standard** — it is a SEPA cross-border gateway. Reclassified as `SEPA Gateway`. The wiki shows no playground because there is no QR payload to encode; the slug is retained to avoid breaking incoming links.

**CENTROlink** is the **payment system operated by the Bank of Lithuania (Lietuvos bankas)** — a SEPA gateway that has become one of Europe's most strategically important payment-infrastructure platforms for fintechs and EMIs <sup>[1][1], [3][3]</sup>. Launched ~2015, CENTROlink **provides direct SEPA-payment-network access to all payment service providers licensed within the EEA** — including banks, specialised banks, credit unions, **electronic money institutions (EMIs), and payment institutions (PIs)** — through accounts held directly at the Bank of Lithuania <sup>[3][3]</sup>. This central-bank-backed direct SEPA access is the **structural innovation that made Lithuania the EU's leading EMI hub** by the late 2010s.

By 2023, CENTROlink processed **228.3 million payments totalling EUR 456 billion** — a **10× increase since 2018** <sup>[Lithuania report](https://docs.barcoder.ai/docs/payments/LT)</sup>. The platform now connects **>200 financial institutions from 20+ countries**, with **>140 active participants**. Critically, **55 % of all CENTROlink transactions are instant payments** — making CENTROlink one of the most instant-payment-saturated rails in Europe <sup>[2][2]</sup>. The fintech-friendly model has attracted high-profile EMIs including Revolut, Wise (formerly TransferWise), Paysera, and many others to license in Lithuania specifically to access CENTROlink — turning Lithuania into a disproportionately-influential country in European fintech.

## History

**Background — pre-CENTROlink Lithuanian payment landscape** <sup>[Lithuania report](https://docs.barcoder.ai/docs/payments/LT)</sup>:
- **Bank of Lithuania (Lietuvos bankas)** — central bank of the Republic of Lithuania.
- **Lithuania joined the eurozone 1 January 2015**.
- Pre-CENTROlink: limited Lithuanian SEPA participation; EMIs needed bank intermediation for euro-area payment access.

**~2015 — CENTROlink launches** <sup>[1][1], [3][3]</sup>:
- Bank of Lithuania launches CENTROlink shortly after euro adoption.
- Designed as a **direct SEPA gateway for EEA-licensed PSPs**.

**~2017+ — EMI hub effect** <sup>[3][3]</sup>:
- Lithuanian EMI licensing + CENTROlink direct SEPA access proved attractive for fintech.
- **Revolut** chose Lithuania for its EU banking licence (granted 2018).
- **Wise** (TransferWise), **Paysera**, **Nordigen**, and many others followed.
- Lithuania became the **second-most-popular EU jurisdiction for EMI licensing** (after Ireland).

**~2018 — Instant payments launch in CENTROlink** <sup>[2][2]</sup>:
- CENTROlink integrates **SEPA Instant Credit Transfer (SCT Inst)**.
- Instant payments operational across CENTROlink's footprint.

**2018-2023 — 10× transaction-volume growth** <sup>[3][3]</sup>:
- 2018: ~25M transactions baseline.
- 2023: **228.3M transactions / EUR 456B** total.
- **+10× growth** over 5 years.

**Instant-payment share** <sup>[2][2]</sup>:
- By 2023, **55 % of CENTROlink transactions** are instant payments.
- Among the highest instant-payment shares of any European clearing system.

**>200 financial institutions from 20+ countries** <sup>[3][3]</sup>:
- CENTROlink's reach extends beyond Lithuania — financial institutions from across the EEA + select non-EEA countries connect via CENTROlink for SEPA access.

## Technical specification

CENTROlink is **Bank-of-Lithuania-operated SEPA gateway with direct PSP access** <sup>[1][1], [3][3]</sup>:

| Layer | Description |
|---|---|
| **Operator** | **Bank of Lithuania (Lietuvos bankas)** |
| **Function** | SEPA payment gateway for EEA-licensed PSPs |
| **Settlement** | Accounts held at Bank of Lithuania (central-bank money) |
| **Participants** | **Banks, specialised banks, credit unions, EMIs, PIs** — all EEA-licensed PSP types |
| **Instant payments** | SCT Inst (since ~2018) — 55 % of all CENTROlink volume in 2023 |
| **Currency** | EUR |
| **Reach** | EU SEPA scheme (SEPA Credit Transfer, SCT Inst, SEPA Direct Debit) |
| **Volume (2023)** | 228.3M transactions / EUR 456B |
| **Participants (2023)** | 200+ FIs from 20+ countries; 140+ active |

**Structural distinction: central-bank-account-based settlement** <sup>[3][3]</sup>:
- CENTROlink participants hold accounts **at the Bank of Lithuania**.
- Payments settle in **central-bank money** — same risk profile as TARGET2 settlement.
- This **removes the need for a commercial bank correspondent** — EMIs/PIs settle directly in central-bank money.

**Fintech advantage** <sup>[3][3]</sup>:
- Most European central-bank payment systems serve only **traditional banks**.
- CENTROlink's structural innovation: **direct access for EMIs and PIs** — fintechs don't need a bank intermediary for SEPA settlement.
- Reduces processing time and operational cost vs commercial-bank-intermediated SEPA access.

**SCT Inst share** <sup>[2][2]</sup>:
- 55 % instant in 2023 — among the highest in Europe.
- Reflects fintech participants' preference for instant settlement.

## Use cases

**SEPA Credit Transfer (SCT)** <sup>[3][3]</sup>: Conventional batched SEPA euro transfers.

**SEPA Instant Credit Transfer (SCT Inst)** <sup>[2][2]</sup>: 10-second euro transfers, 24/7/365.

**SEPA Direct Debit (SDD)** <sup>[3][3]</sup>: Direct-debit collections.

**Fintech / EMI direct SEPA access** <sup>[3][3]</sup>: Revolut, Wise, Paysera, Nordigen, and 130+ other PSPs use CENTROlink as primary SEPA settlement rail.

**Pan-European reach** <sup>[3][3]</sup>: SEPA scheme reaches 36+ countries; CENTROlink participants can send/receive to/from any SEPA-reachable account.

**Banking-as-a-Service (BaaS)** <sup>[3][3]</sup>: CENTROlink underpins many BaaS providers' euro-currency offerings.

## Implementations & ecosystem

**Operator**: **Bank of Lithuania (Lietuvos bankas)** — central bank.

**Participants (200+ FIs from 20+ countries)** include:
- **Major Lithuanian banks**: Swedbank, SEB, Luminor Bank.
- **Major Lithuanian-licensed EMIs**: Revolut, Paysera, Bankera, Mistertango.
- **Wise** (TransferWise).
- **Nordigen**.
- Numerous other EEA-licensed PSPs.

**Bank of Lithuania's broader fintech-hub strategy**:
- CENTROlink + favourable EMI licensing → Lithuania as EU fintech hub.
- Promoted via the **Bank of Lithuania's fintech-friendly regulatory positioning** under Governor Vitas Vasiliauskas (2017-2023).

**No public open-source SDK** — CENTROlink integration via Bank of Lithuania APIs.

## Fun facts

- **The reason Revolut chose Lithuania for its EU banking licence**: CENTROlink's direct SEPA access + favourable Lithuanian EMI/banking licensing was a major factor in Revolut's decision to obtain its EU banking licence in Lithuania (2018) — making Lithuania a structurally outsized influence on European fintech.
- **10× transaction growth 2018-2023**: Few European payment systems have grown this fast. Reflects the fintech-as-CENTROlink-customer flywheel.
- **55 % instant payment share**: Among the highest in Europe — far above eurozone averages. Fintech participants drive instant adoption.
- **Direct central-bank-account-money settlement for EMIs**: A structural innovation that few other EU central banks have replicated at this scale. Most central-bank payment systems serve banks-only.
- **200+ FIs from 20+ countries**: CENTROlink's reach extends far beyond Lithuania — making it a **pan-European payment-infrastructure platform headquartered in Lithuania**.
- **EUR 456 billion in 2023**: Significant absolute volume — comparable to or exceeding several larger EU central-bank-operated SEPA gateways.
- **The competitive structural advantage**: CENTROlink is one of the few central-bank-operated SEPA gateways that **actively welcomes fintech direct access** — most peers either limit to traditional banks or impose substantial barriers to entry. The fintech-friendly stance is a deliberate Bank of Lithuania policy choice.
- **Lithuania's EMI count**: ~80+ licensed EMIs in Lithuania (one of the highest in EU) — many drawn by CENTROlink access.
- **Disproportionate influence**: A country of ~2.8M people has become one of the most structurally important nodes in European fintech infrastructure — largely because of CENTROlink + favourable licensing.

## Comparison

| Feature | CENTROlink (LT) | TIPS (EU) | RT1 (EBA Clearing) | [FAST](https://docs.barcoder.ai/docs/standards/fast) (SG) | UK Faster Payments |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Operator | Bank of Lithuania | Eurosystem | EBA Clearing (private) | SCHA (banks) | Pay.UK |
| Direct fintech/EMI access | **Yes (broad)** | Yes (since 2024+) | Limited | Yes (since 2020) | Limited (sponsor model) |
| Instant share | **55 % (2023)** | n/a | High | n/a | n/a |
| 2023 volume | 228.3M txns / EUR 456B | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| Year launched | ~2015 | Nov 2018 | 2017 | Mar 2014 | 2008 |
| Settlement money | **Central-bank money (Bank of Lithuania)** | Central-bank (Eurosystem) | Commercial-bank | MEPS+ (SG RTGS) | Bank-of-England |

**Closest peer**: **TIPS** (Eurosystem) — both are central-bank-operated euro-instant rails with direct PSP access. CENTROlink is older and has higher fintech penetration; TIPS has eurozone-wide reach.

**Structural distinction**: CENTROlink is the **most fintech-accessible major euro-area payment infrastructure** — its central-bank-money settlement for EMIs is the unique structural feature.

## Status

**Active, fastest-growing European SEPA gateway** <sup>[1][1], [3][3]</sup>:
- **Bank of Lithuania operator**.
- **228.3M transactions / EUR 456B** in 2023.
- **+10× growth** 2018-2023.
- **55 % instant-payment share** (2023).
- **200+ financial institutions from 20+ countries**.
- **140+ active participants**.

**Outlook**: Continued growth as European fintech ecosystem expands; deeper SCT Inst penetration toward eurozone target of 100 %; possible role in BIS Project Nexus and broader cross-border interconnection initiatives; Lithuania likely to retain its outsized European fintech-hub influence as long as CENTROlink remains the preferred fintech-SEPA access path.

## Sources

[1]: https://www.lb.lt/en/centrolink "CENTROlink — Bank of Lithuania"
[2]: https://www.lb.lt/en/news/payment-system-centrolink-marks-instant-payments-era-in-lithuania "CENTROlink instant-payments era — Bank of Lithuania"
[3]: https://advapay.eu/the-way-to-sepa-with-centrolink-participants-connection-benefits/ "SEPA via CENTROlink — Advapay"

- [1] [CENTROlink — Bank of Lithuania][1]
- [2] [CENTROlink instant-payments era — Bank of Lithuania][2]
- [3] [SEPA via CENTROlink — Advapay][3]
- <sup>[Lithuania report](https://docs.barcoder.ai/docs/payments/LT)</sup> `reports/countries/LT-lithuania.md`

## Deployments

Found in the following country reports (grep across `reports/countries/`):

- **LT** — [LT-lithuania.md](https://docs.barcoder.ai/docs/payments/LT)