Mojaloop

Can other systems connect without modifying the core, using documented open standards?

The FSPIOP specification is published as an OpenAPI 3.0 definition, so any provider can build a connector without coordinating with the maintainers. It adopts the Interledger Protocol, aligns with ISO 20022 and the GSMA Mobile Money API, and exchanges JSON against published schemas and data models.

Is it a modular building block that does one thing well, rather than a monolithic platform?

A microservices architecture built on Apache Kafka, with independent services for clearing, settlement and directory functions. The switch is clearly the infrastructure layer and connecting provider systems are the application layer; scheme rules are configurable, so countries deploy without forking the codebase.

Can other public and private actors build on top of it?

Any financial service provider can build a connector and join a scheme, supported by a sandbox environment for testing. Banks and mobile money operators connect independently in several country deployments, and community governance with multiple contributing organisations keeps the project free of single-vendor control.

Can it run in distributed or federated deployments suited to national infrastructure?

Cross-scheme federation is documented, allowing transfers between separate Mojaloop instances rather than requiring one global switch. National instances keep clearing data within the scheme's jurisdiction, and Kafka plus horizontally scalable microservices support high-availability operation.

Does it meet the security and privacy bar for population-scale infrastructure?

Security is financial-grade: PKI, TLS and message signing throughout, with comprehensive documentation of PKI best practice. A community security process is in place, and the clearing design minimises data by carrying only transfer metadata.