Identity & Mandate

Our Identity & Mandate

NIFN is a non-profit, non-commercial initiative under the Nepal Internet Foundation — dedicated to serving the public interest by promoting coordination and collaboration across the digital ecosystem, creating inclusive, transparent, and sustainable solutions that benefit society as a whole.

What NIFN Is

Neutral & Public-Interest Oriented
Fully Regulator-Aligned
Technology-Agnostic Standards Body
Capacity Building & Coordination Platform

What NIFN Is NOT

A Bank or Fund Custodian
A Payment System Operator (PSO/PSP)
A Currency or Crypto Issuer
Replacement for NCHL, RTGS, or connectIPS

Why We Exist

The Problem We Solve

Nepal's digital payment landscape is fragmented — wallets can't talk to banks, cooperatives are excluded, and remittance is costly. NIFN bridges these gaps using open, neutral, and universally accessible interoperability standards.

Facilitate Interoperability

Connect payment systems without replacing them — a neutral bridge layer for all institutions.

Financial Inclusion

Bring cooperatives, micro-finance, and unbanked communities into the digital economy.

Global Standards

Align Nepal's payment ecosystem with internationally recognized open standards like ILP.

Vision & Mission

Our Purpose & Direction

Vision

Our goal is to promote open interoperability standards with a particular focus on the Interledger Protocol (ILP). We aim to achieve this through active collaboration with regulators, financial institutions, and global bodies — fostering a transparent and inclusive framework that supports seamless connectivity across diverse payment systems.

Mission

Our mission is to support a secure, inclusive, and interoperable digital financial ecosystem in Nepal. We enable seamless value exchange across platforms while safeguarding regulatory sovereignty and building public trust — ensuring innovation aligns with national priorities.

Objectives

Core Objectives

Facilitate Interoperability Without Replacement

Connect existing systems through a neutral open layer — no disruption, only enhancement.

Drive Financial Inclusion & Affordability

Lower barriers for cooperatives, MSMEs, and citizens to access modern digital finance.

Align with Global Open Standards

Adopt internationally proven protocols to ensure Nepal's system is future-ready and globally interoperable.

Governance

Under Nepal Internet Foundation

NIFN operates under the Nepal Internet Foundation (NIF), ensuring independent, non-commercial governance aligned with national digital policy goals. All activities are transparent, public-interest driven, and free from commercial conflicts.

Core Protocol

The Interledger Protocol (ILP)

ILP is an open standard designed to connect different payment networks the same way the Internet connects computers — enabling fast, low-cost, and secure transfers across diverse ledgers without compromising interoperability.

Cross-Border Remittances

Real-time, low-cost transfers from any country directly to any Nepali wallet or bank. By leveraging ILP, we reduce intermediary hops, lowering costs and increasing speed for millions of Nepali families.

Instant Settlement
Minimal Transaction Fees
Transparent Exchange Rates

Bank ↔ Wallet Ecosystem

Enabling seamless interoperability between commercial banks, micro-finance institutions, and digital wallets — our neutral routing layer eliminates complex bilateral integrations.

Unified Routing Protocol
Regulatory Compliance Built-in
Universal Connectivity

MSME & Digital Trade

Empowering small businesses and freelancers to accept global payments locally. Instant micro-transactions for tourism and digital services, integrated with global interledger nodes.

Micropayment Support
Low Barrier to Entry
Global Market Integration

Technology Stack

Technologies We Use

NIFN leverages open-source, high-performance technologies to enable secure, interoperable, and scalable digital payments across Nepal.

Protocol

Interledger Protocol (ILP)

A packet-switched protocol routing value across ledgers like IP routes data — ensuring atomic, secure transfers without holding funds.

Stack

Rafiki — Open Payments Stack

The official ILP reference implementation providing Open Payments APIs, STREAM payment support, and connector routing.

Ledger

TigerBeetle Ledger

A high-performance financial ledger for double-entry accounting — tracking liquidity and ensuring atomicity at scale.

Transport

STREAM Protocol

Transports ILP payments in small packets for real-time or micropayment transactions with congestion control.

Security

HTLCs & Cryptographic Conditions

Hash-time locked contracts and fulfillment verification ensure atomicity — no partial losses across all nodes.

Infra

Cloud-Native Deployment

All components containerized via Docker/Kubernetes for scalability, high availability, and data sovereignty.

Implementation Plan

Phased Implementation Roadmap

A pragmatic, regulator-guided approach to achieving national and regional interoperability — beginning with controlled pilots and gradually expanding to full-scale integration.

1

Phase 01 — Active

Sandbox & Pilot

A controlled pilot involving one PSO, one PSP wallet, and one cooperative — domestic transfers only. Tests functionality, ensures compliance, and gathers insights before scaling.

2

Phase 02

National Interoperability

Achieving national interoperability by introducing the National Payment Switch (NPS) as a neutral connector — enabling seamless bank-to-wallet and wallet-to-wallet transactions.

3

Phase 03

Cross-Border Corridors

Establishing cross-border payment corridors starting with pilots for India and Gulf countries. Remittance partners will be onboarded for secure and efficient international transfers.

4

Phase 04

Regional Expansion & CBDC Readiness

Driving regional expansion across South Asia and preparing for Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC) integration — future-proofing Nepal's payment infrastructure.

Get in Touch

Let's build Nepal's financial future together

Whether you're a financial institution, a regulator, or a developer we're here to collaborate.

Email Us

[email protected]

Visit Us

Dhapasi, Kathmandu, Nepal

Mobile Number

+977-9816011780

Website

www.nifn.nif.org.np

Field Report

Advancing Interoperable Finance in Nepal: NIFN Field Visit to Hetauda, Makawanpur

BS

Bikram Shrestha

Project Lead, Nepal Interledger Financial Network (NIFN)

17–18 April 2026

Overview

As part of the ongoing implementation of the Nepal Interledger Financial Network (NIFN), our team conducted a two-day field visit to Ward No. 2, Hetauda, Makawanpur on 17–18 April 2026.

The primary objective of this visit was to engage with local cooperatives and formalize partnerships through Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) for onboarding into the NIFN ecosystem.

NIFN is designed to enable interoperable, low-cost, and real-time financial transactions, connecting cooperatives, digital wallets, PSOs, PSPs, and BFIs through the Interledger Protocol (ILP).

Mission Objectives

Introduce the NIFN framework and vision to cooperative stakeholders
Present the technical architecture and interoperability model
Explore collaboration opportunities and readiness
Formalize partnerships through MoU signing
Identify early adopters for pilot implementation

The field delegation was led by Bikram Shrestha, Project Lead, supported by Subresh Thakulla, Technical Coordinator.

Field Engagement and Schedule Execution

1

Hatemalo Saving & Credit Cooperative

2

Pancharatna Saving & Credit Cooperative

3

Pratifal Saving & Credit Cooperative

4

Divya Tara Saving & Credit Cooperative

5

Ganapatibaba Saving & Credit Cooperative

6

Sairam Saving & Credit Cooperative

7

Yuwa Bachat Saving & Credit Cooperative

8

YWS Saving & Credit Cooperative

9

Matribhumi saving & Credit Cooperative

10

Shikshakhit Saving & Credit Cooperative

Conclusion

The Hetauda field visit marks an important milestone in the rollout of the Nepal Interledger Financial Network.

Field Experience

My Visit to Hetauda: A Milestone in the NIFN Journey

BS

Bibek Shah

Program Officer, Nepal Interledger Financial Network (NIFN)

My recent visit to Hetauda marked an important milestone in the journey of the Nepal Interledger Financial Network (NIFN). During this visit, we successfully conducted our first orientation program at Hotel Samana, bringing together local stakeholders and participants for an engaging and insightful session.

The primary objective of the orientation was to introduce the vision and mission of NIFN. We focused on explaining the importance of interoperable digital payments and how an open, secure financial infrastructure can transform the way financial services are delivered—especially at the cooperative level.

The session provided a valuable platform for discussion, where participants actively shared their perspectives, asked thoughtful questions, and explored the potential of adopting interoperable systems within their institutions.

A key highlight of the program was the discussion around how cooperatives can directly benefit from NIFN.

Hetauda’s warm reception and active engagement made the orientation program both meaningful and encouraging.

This first orientation in Hetauda represents more than just an event—it marks the beginning of a broader journey toward building an inclusive, interoperable financial ecosystem in Nepal.

Technical Insight

Strengthening Cooperative Finance: Insights from the NIFN DRG Session in Hetauda

ST

Subresh Thakulla

Program Officer, NIFN

I recently had the opportunity to participate in the Nepal Interledger Financial Network (NIFN) Detailed Requrement Gathering (DRG) session held at Hotel Samana in Hetauda.

The gathering brought together around 20 participants representing approximately 11 different cooperatives.

The core focus of the session was to explore the practical needs of cooperatives and identify how digital financial infrastructure can address existing challenges.

Participants actively asked questions, challenged ideas, and contributed insights, making it a collaborative learning space.

The concept of interoperable financial systems sparked significant interest among participants.

Overall, the DRG session in Hetauda was both productive and insightful.

As NIFN moves forward, engagements like this will remain essential in ensuring that the network evolves in a way that truly supports Nepal’s cooperative ecosystem.

Connecting Nepal'sDigital Payment Ecosystem