Uzbekistan Launches Sovereign Bond-Backed HUMO Token to Digitize Payments

• The HUMO token pilot project aims to digitize the economy by leveraging blockchain technology for transparent, low-cost financial services in alignment with the country’s regulatory framework.
• The token’s infrastructure could power e-government services, programmable public cash flows, and serve as a model for other emerging markets exploring sovereign blockchain use cases.

In a bid to digitize its economy, Uzbekistan has launched HUMO token, a state-sponsored digital currency backed by sovereign bonds. For this, the country has already started a pilot project while leveraging blockchain technology to facilitate transparent and affordable financial services.

The HUMO token offers a unique example of a digital asset designed for price stability rather than speculation. Backed by government-issued bonds and pegged at a 1:1,000 ratio to Uzbekistan’s national currency (UZS), it addresses one of the primary challenges of using traditional cryptocurrencies for state-level applications—minimizing volatility.

Moreover, the pilot project is being launched in alignment with Uzbekistan’s evolving regulatory framework for digital assets, ensuring full compliance. Central to this initiative is the HUMO payment network, a national system that supports over 35 million cardholders and is seamlessly integrated into Uzbekistan’s banking and retail ecosystems. Additionally, its robust infrastructure and widespread user base offer a strategic platform for scaling digital asset adoption.

With this project, the Uzbekistan government is clear on linking digital currencies to familiar systems, to boost public adoption and transform the daily payment processes.

Uzbekistan Explores Sovereign Blockchain Potential with HUMO Pilot

If successful, the HUMO token will extend beyond its role as a digital asset, while leveraging its infrastructure to power e-government services, enable programmable cash flows for public initiatives. Additionally, it will also serve as a blueprint for other emerging markets considering sovereign blockchain adoption.

Through this pilot, Uzbekistan will join a list of nations testing asset-backed digital currencies designed to bridge traditional finance with Web3 infrastructure. Asterium, an Uzbekistan-based Web3 firm, will spearhead the development of the HUMO token, with Broxus providing the blockchain infrastructure behind TON-based solutions.

Interestingly, this token will support both EVM and TVM environments, with its TVM layer built on Broxus’s Tycho protocol. The Tycho protocol facilitates high-throughput and low-cost transactions, which makes it a critical component for scaling the HUMO token to meet government-grade use cases such as social payments, utility services, and tax automation. Some of the key objectives of the HUMO pilot initiative are:

• Facilitate instant, low-cost digital payments within the HUMO network.
• Enhance transparency through the auditability of a public ledger.
• Reduce informal cash flows by implementing verifiable digital payment systems.

Alexey Maksimov, Chairman of HUMO, described the initiative as a pivotal moment in Uzbekistan’s digital evolution, stating, “This is about laying the groundwork for a thriving digital economy.”