The Herstatt Bank crisis of 1974 highlighted the risk of settlement failure in foreign exchange transactions, known as Herstatt Risk. The collapse of Herstatt Bank left other banks exposed who had delivered German marks but did not receive promised US dollar payments due to time zone differences. This led international groups like the Basel Committee to develop mechanisms to mitigate Herstatt Risk, such as continuous linked settlement and expanding central bank payment systems to support cross-border transactions.