From LVTS to Lynx: Quantitative assessment of payment system transition in Canada

Abstract

Modernising Canada’s wholesale payments system from the legacy large-value transfer system (LVTS) to Lynx brings two key changes: (1) the settlement model shifts from a hybrid system that combined components of both real-time gross settlement (RTGS) and deferred net settlement to an RTGS system; and (2) the policy regarding queue usage changes from discouraging it to encouraging the adoption of the new liquidity-saving mechanism. This paper quantitatively assesses the effects of these changes on the behaviour of participants in the payments system. The analysis reveals that most system-level payments in Lynx are settled in a single stream via the liquidity-saving mechanism, thus facilitating liquidity pooling and leading to higher efficiency than with LVTS, where payments were distributed in two streams. Moreover, due to Lynx’s liquidity-saving mechanism, many payments arrive earlier than those settled in LVTS, providing more opportunities for liquidity saving at the cost of slightly increased payment delay. At the participant level, meanwhile, the analysis suggests that liquidity efficiency is improved for various participants, with most experiencing slightly longer payment delays in Lynx than in LVTS.