The Interledger Community 🌱

2025 Interledger Foundation Call for Papers

Engage in Building New Knowledge

The Interledger Foundation invites original research contributions that will help deepen the state of knowledge on digital financial inclusion and payment interoperability.

We are a global non-profit organization with a vision to enable open, affordable, secure, and interoperable financial services for all. As the steward of the Interledger Protocol and Open Payments Standard, we support initiatives that are interested in building within the Interledger ecosystem. The Foundation is equally committed to fostering meaningful and cross-disciplinary research and policy engagement on these issues.

Overview and Themes

Program Overview

Despite substantial advancements in financial access, securing inclusive, affordable, and responsible financial services for all remains a pressing global challenge. We believe that the global research community can play a vital role in unpacking the societal, policy, and technological dimensions of this challenge and guide informed solutions.

With that in mind, the Interledger Foundation invites abstracts for research papers that engage with tackling barriers to financial access, fostering open and interoperable financial systems, and supporting the responsible use of technology in the financial sector. Please submit your abstract via our online portal.

Authors of selected abstracts will be invited to submit full-length papers.

Final accepted papers will receive an honorarium of USD 5,000, and authors will be invited to present at the Interledger Summit in Mexico City, November 5–6, 2025. (Travel and accommodation for one author per paper will be covered.)

Themes and Suggested Topics

The call for abstracts is open until May 15, 2025. Submissions should fall under one of the following themes (but are not limited to the suggested topics):

Understanding Financial Inclusion
  • Defining and measuring financial inclusion
  • Country or sub-regional evidence
  • Case studies at the margins
  • Inclusion across financial products and services
  • Financial rights as human rights
Key Actors and Incentives
  • Role of traditional institutions and incentives to innovate
  • Mobile operators and non-financial actors
  • Community-led initiatives and intermediaries
  • Global/regional standard-setting bodies
  • Cost of micro-transactions in modern networks

Regulatory and Policy Dimensions

  • Policy challenges in financial innovation
  • Digital identity, data protection, and cross-border compliance
  • Consumer trust and protection frameworks
  • Regulatory impact on pricing and competition
  • AML/CFT compliance in open payment systems

Technology and Interoperability

  • Standards for cross-border transactions
  • AI and disruptive tech in financial systems
  • Routing algorithms and scalability
  • Forex strategies amid crypto and stablecoins
  • Settlement strategies in next-gen networks

Eligibility and Requirements

Who Can Apply

  • Open to researchers worldwide and across disciplines
  • PhD candidates, early-career, and independent researchers are welcome
  • Interdisciplinary and collaborative projects encouraged
  • Scholars from underrepresented groups and the Global South strongly encouraged
  • Engagement with the Open Payments Standard or Interledger Protocol is of particular interest

Abstract Submission

  • 800–1000 words

  • Must include:

    • Title
    • Research questions
    • Background and context
    • Methodology
    • Proposed arguments
    • Relevance
    • 4–7 keywords

  • Attach:

    • 1-page bibliography
    • Brief CV (max 3 pages per author)

  • Up to 4 co-authors per submission

  • Abstracts must be in English

  • Submit via our online portal

Key Dates

  • Abstract submission deadline: May 15, 2025, at 11:59 pm (ET)
  • Notification of acceptance: June 30, 2025
  • First draft due: September 15, 2025
  • Peer review and feedback: October 15, 2025
  • Interledger Summit (Mexico City): November 5–6, 2025
  • Final paper submission: November 15, 2025

How to submit an abstract?

  • Download and read the 2025 Grant Application Guidelines.
  • Please submit your abstract via our online portal.
    • Note: ONLY Abstracts that are complete and timely submissions received via Submittable will be considered.
  • All abstracts must be submitted in English by the deadline below.
  • Applications must arrive before May 15, 2025, at 11:59 pm (ET).

Contact

In case of queries, please review the grant guide or join the designated grant slack channel or reach out to the program team at 📧 programteam@interledger.org