Skip to main content
A sweep moves excess balances out of an operating account and into an interest-bearing instrument, commonly an overnight repurchase agreement. It returns those balances when they are needed. The economics are simple: idle balances earn nothing, while swept balances earn the repo rate. Timing limits the value captured.

Why timing is the constraint

Conventional sweeps run on a schedule set by settlement windows, not when the balance is actually idle. A balance that arrives after the cutoff waits until the next cycle. A balance needed before the return leg settles cannot be swept at all. The bank therefore holds a buffer sized for the gap between when funds move and when they can move back, and that buffer is the cost of the settlement window.

What changes with tokenized deposits

A tokenized deposit is the cash leg recorded on a digital ledger, so sweeps can run when the balance is idle and unwind when it is needed. This means the buffer shrinks toward the amount actually required for operations, not the amount required to survive until the next settlement cycle. Delivery versus payment is joint settlement of the cash and instrument legs, so neither completes alone. See Atomic Settlement and Delivery vs Payment.
Real-time repo sweeps have been demonstrated but are not documented here as a shipped configuration. The instruments supported, how sweep policy is authored and approved, and the counterparty arrangements required all still need to be documented. Contact sales@cosmoslabs.io to discuss a repo use case.