tZERO Completes First Regulatory Exam, Sets Digital Asset Securities Standard

Custody was the foundation — but tokenization is where the real momentum is building. Last week we talked about how institutions secure digital assets. This week, it’s about what comes next: turning traditional financial instruments into programmable, instantly-settling digital assets that can unlock entirely new infrastructure. We’re already seeing it play out: BlackRock’s BUIDL fund on Ethereum shows how tokenized funds can deliver real-world yield on-chain. HSBC’s tokenized gold gives investors exposure to physical assets with digital liquidity. Société Générale and the World Bank have issued tokenized bonds that settle in minutes, not days. And it’s not just traditional assets moving on-chain — crypto assets themselves are maturing into a parallel, regulated market with real use cases (think stablecoins, for example). And yes — at the institutional level, they’re now part of custody. Here’s the shift: custody built trust and compliance. Tokenization delivers utility, capital efficiency, and liquidity. Multi-chain infrastructure, on-chain compliance, and direct integration between real-world assets and institutional capital are no longer theoretical — they’re happening. According to several industry reports, the tokenized real-world asset (RWA) market already surpassed $30 billion in Q3 2025, driven by private credit, treasuries, and commodities. Projections suggest it could reach $16–30 trillion by 2030 as real estate, private credit, and equities scale up. If custody was the foundation, tokenization is the first floor — and crypto assets are already showing what’s possible at scale.

🚨 TOKENY PARTNERS WITH SWITZERLAND’S AMINA BANK FOR TOKENIZED ASSET CUSTODY 🚨  Tokeny, the Luxembourg-based tokenization platform recently acquired by fund administrator Apex Group, has announced a strategic partnership with **Amina Bank** (formerly SEBA Bank) to provide institutional-grade custody and banking services for tokenized assets.  🔑 Key Points    🔹 **Institutional Custody Integration:** Amina Bank will offer **custody and banking services** for tokenized real-world assets issued via Tokeny’s platform, including **government bonds, corporate securities, treasury bills, and other regulated instruments.** This ensures investors have verifiable confidence that tokenized instruments are backed by real, safeguarded assets.  🔹 **Apex Group’s Role:** Since acquiring Tokeny, Apex has positioned the company as its key infrastructure provider for compliant token issuance and management across public blockchains — a move targeting the growing demand for **regulated digital securities** among asset managers and fund operators.  🔹 **Institutional DeFi Momentum:** Amina’s CPO Myles Harrison noted that demand for **compliant tokenized exposure** on public networks has surged, but “banking and custody remain the biggest challenges” in scaling adoption. The partnership addresses this by connecting onchain issuance to offchain financial infrastructure.  🔹 **Technological Framework:** Tokeny’s platform leverages **ERC-3643** token standards for regulated assets, supporting programmability with built-in KYC compliance, permissions, and transfer controls suitable for both EU and Swiss financial frameworks.    🔹 **Compliance and Trust:** Amina Bank operates as a licensed Swiss digital asset bank, which gives institutional investors assurance on **regulatory oversight, segregation of assets,** and integration with traditional settlement rails.  💡 Why It Matters  - **Bridges Traditional and Tokenized Markets:** This partnership connects onchain token issuance with secure, bank-based custody — crucial for investors demanding regulated, institution-grade environments.  - **Tokenization Growth:** Institutional interest in **tokenized real-world assets (RWAs)** has soared globally, with Europe leading in regulated deployments.  - **End-to-End Trust Layer:** The collaboration between Tokeny, Apex, and Amina Bank strengthens the infrastructure required to bring trillions in institutional-grade securities onto blockchain systems.  The Tokeny–Amina alliance marks another milestone in Europe’s rapidly maturing RWA and digital securities landscape — signaling that compliant tokenization, bank custody, and financial interoperability are converging into a unified institutional standard. https://lnkd.in/eurtXYXY

BitGo announces support for Canton Coin (CC), the native token of the Canton Network, enabling banks and asset managers to access it via secure, compliant custody. #Custody #CC #CantonNetwork #Institutional #Crypto https://lnkd.in/e3UyyHMk

Crypto asset custody has transcended the simple act of securing private keys to become a core business infrastructure that dictates an institution’s operational efficiency, risk management capabilities, and competitive edge. The journey from a static “digital safe” to a powerful growth “engine” marks a critical evolution for the entire industry. The Three Eras of Institutional Custody: 🔹 𝗖𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗱𝘆 𝟭.𝟬: 𝗙𝗼𝗰𝘂𝘀𝗲𝗱 𝗼𝗻 𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴𝗹𝗲-𝗸𝗲𝘆 𝘄𝗮𝗹𝗹𝗲𝘁𝘀. While a necessary first step, it was plagued by single points of failure and was unworkable for collaborative, institutional operations. 🔹 𝗖𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗱𝘆 𝟮.𝟬: 𝗜𝗻𝘁𝗿𝗼𝗱𝘂𝗰𝗲𝗱 𝗠𝘂𝗹𝘁𝗶-𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗻𝗮𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲 (𝗠𝘂𝗹𝘁𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗴) 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗛𝗮𝗿𝗱𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗦𝗲𝗰𝘂𝗿𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗠𝗼𝗱𝘂𝗹𝗲𝘀 (𝗛𝗦𝗠𝘀). These technologies addressed collaboration but brought new challenges: Multisig's chain dependency and high costs, and the centralized physical risks of HSMs. 🔹 𝗖𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗱𝘆 𝟯.𝟬: 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗿𝗴𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗦𝗲𝗰𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗠𝘂𝗹𝘁𝗶-𝗣𝗮𝗿𝘁𝘆 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗽𝘂𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 (𝗠𝗣𝗖) 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗯𝗶𝗻𝗲𝗱 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗧𝗿𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗘𝘅𝗲𝗰𝘂𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗘𝗻𝘃𝗶𝗿𝗼𝗻𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀 (𝗧𝗘𝗘) 𝗵𝗮𝘀 𝗿𝗲𝘃𝗼𝗹𝘂𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗶𝘇𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝗽𝗮𝗰𝗲. By ensuring a complete private key never exists on a single device, MPC offers a solution that is chain-agnostic, highly efficient, private, and flexible. Empowering the Entire Value Chain: This new paradigm is not just a security upgrade; it's the foundational trust layer for high-value ecosystems like stablecoins: Upstream (Issuers): Provides absolute security for reserves and enables forced compliance workflows. Midstream (Market Makers, Exchanges & Payment Gateways): Delivers millisecond-level signing speed for high-frequency trading and proactive risk defense. Downstream (Applications): Allows for seamless and secure integration, making crypto applications safe for end-users. 𝗜𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗻𝗲𝘄 𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗱𝘀𝗰𝗮𝗽𝗲, 𝗰𝗵𝗼𝗼𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮 𝗰𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗱𝘆 𝘀𝗼𝗹𝘂𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗶𝘀 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗮𝗿𝗰𝗵𝗶𝘁𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮 “𝗰𝗿𝘆𝗽𝘁𝗼 𝗮𝗰𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗻𝘁 𝘀𝘆𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗺” 𝗰𝗮𝗽𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝘀𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗶𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘀𝗲𝗰𝘂𝗿𝗲, 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗶𝗮𝗻𝘁, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗼𝗻𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝗯𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗴𝗿𝗼𝘄𝘁𝗵. For an in-depth analysis of this evolution, including a detailed comparison of MPC vs. Multisig and a breakdown of the value chain, download our comprehensive guide below. Explore how Custody 3.0 can empower your organization: safeheron.com/contact-us/ #DigitalAssets #CryptoCustody #InstitutionalCrypto #MPC #Stablecoins

🏦 BNY, the world’s largest custodian bank, is testing blockchain-based deposits to modernize its $2.5 trillion-a-day payments operation, according to Bloomberg reporting today. The pilot aims to replace parts of its legacy infrastructure with tokenized deposits—digital representations of traditional bank balances—allowing for faster, cheaper, and more transparent settlement. The experiment mirrors efforts by peers like JPMorgan, signaling that blockchain rails are no longer a side project but a potential backbone for global financial plumbing. To understand why this matters, consider the scale. Founded in 1784 by Alexander Hamilton, BNY Mellon has evolved from a post-Revolution trading bank to a systemic cornerstone of global finance. With more than $53 trillion in assets under custody or administration and $2 trillion under management, it sits at the center of institutional money movement—handling everything from custody to corporate actions to global clearing. Its deposits are vast and conservative, typically parked in safe, liquid instruments. When a bank of this magnitude experiments with tokenization, even a small operational shift can ripple through the system. BNY’s experiment is both symbolic and strategic. Symbolic, because it shows that even the most established institutions see value in blockchain for real-world financial operations. Strategic, because BNY’s scale gives it the ability to test interoperability between tokenized and traditional payment systems at institutional depth. If it works, blockchain could become an invisible layer beneath trillions in daily transactions. Probably nothing 😉

Financial technology leader tZERO has announced a strategic partnership with zerohash to transform how investors fund brokerage accounts using digital assets. This groundbreaking collaboration will enable investors to deposit stablecoins and cryptocurrencies, which will be seamlessly converted into fiat currency for tZERO brokerage accounts. Launching in November 2025, the integration represents a critical advancement in digital asset infrastructure. By providing an alternative to traditional transfer methods, tZERO is expanding investor accessibility and reinforcing its vision of a unified, multi-asset platform. CEO Alan Konevsky emphasized the significance of this development, describing it as 'a first step towards a converged and interoperable multi-asset environment.' The partnership underscores tZERO's commitment to creating a digital-first ecosystem where traditional securities and tokenized assets can coexist under a regulated framework. zerohash, supporting approximately 100 digital assets, will handle the complex conversion and settlement processes. This ensures that investors can fund accounts securely and compliantly, without the broker-dealer directly managing cryptocurrency transactions. The collaboration marks another milestone in tZERO's strategy to bridge traditional and digital finance, demonstrating the company's innovative approach to modernizing capital markets.

Tokenisation in Traditional Finance: Bold Innovation or Calculated Caution? In a quiet but meaningful step, BNP Paribas Asset Management has begun experimenting with tokenisation, issuing tokenised bonds and even a tokenised share class of a money market fund. It’s a clear sign that the line between traditional finance and digital assets is getting thinner and that some of the world’s biggest financial institutions are no longer watching blockchain from the sidelines. They’re moving in, carefully but deliberately. Still, BNP Paribas’s approach remains measured, highlighting three key challenges that continue to slow large-scale adoption: ⚖️ Regulatory uncertainty: fragmented frameworks on custody, investor protection, and secondary market activity. 🔗 Interoperability: the difficulty of ensuring tokenised assets can move seamlessly across systems and blockchains. 🔐 Cybersecurity and operational risk: integrating new technology into complex legacy infrastructures without creating new vulnerabilities. These aren’t minor issues, they’re the core obstacles standing between pilot projects and full market transformation. Yet, the fact that a major asset manager is already testing tokenised funds shows how fast the conversation is evolving. The key question now is whether traditional players like BNP Paribas are paving the way for the future of finance, or moving too cautiously to lead it.

over the last few years, we’ve seen massive progress in institutional crypto custody. federally chartered digital trust banks like Anchorage Digital and regulated innovators such as Protego Trust have built the foundation for secure, compliant storage of digital assets. but as the custody layer matures, a bigger question emerges: what happens after custody? and more importantly who ensures assets move securely when ownership changes hands? traditional trust banks have managed estates worth trillions for centuries, yet crypto changes the equation. private keys, multi-chain assets, and smart contracts don’t fit neatly into legacy legal frameworks. custody solves safekeeping. continuity ensures succession. that’s where the next wave of innovation begins. at LegacyLink, we’re building a secure, policy-driven succession infrastructure — a layer that adds compliance-grade inheritance logic for on-chain assets without exposing private keys. regulated custodians plus programmable succession equals true digital asset continuity. for institutions, this means managing not just wealth in life but also its transfer after. for individuals, it means knowing your crypto, nfts, and digital identity won’t disappear when you’re gone. our thesis is simple: custody without continuity is incomplete. the future of fiduciary trust is programmable. and it’s already here.

Citi’s Crypto Custody Countdown Begins 🚀 A big bank is getting ready to hold crypto for clients. That could make it safer and easier for large investors to step in. And when new rails open, money moves—and markets follow. Citi plans to offer direct crypto custody by 2026, giving asset managers a regulated way to hold Bitcoin, Ethereum, and major stablecoins without relying on exchanges or self-custody. Think: a familiar, bank-grade door into digital assets for institutions that have been stuck on the sidelines. Why it matters: bank custody reduces operational and compliance friction for pensions, endowments, and funds. As those players get green lights, spot liquidity can deepen, spreads can tighten, and settlement can get faster with stablecoins. Flow may shift from exchanges to custodians, changing on-chain balances and derivatives dynamics. Meanwhile, not all banks agree on storing crypto, creating competitive space for those willing to own the custody stack. But it’s not risk-free. Security and key-management remain mission-critical. Rules can change, timelines can drift, and markets often “buy the rumor, fade the launch” as go-live approaches. Here’s how to turn this into edge: map the timeline now. Track Citi updates, pilot onboarding, and licenses—pricing often starts quarters ahead of launch. Watch BTC/ETH exchange reserves; a drift toward custodians can reduce sell pressure on exchanges. Monitor CME basis and perpetual funding; tightening can flag institutional hedging or spot accumulation. Prioritize high-compliance assets first; treat long-tail tokens as later-cycle bets. If you work with custodians, verify segregation, insurance, and third-party attestations—operational diligence is alpha. 👉 Build a simple dashboard now to track Citi milestones, BTC/ETH exchange reserves, and CME basis monthly. If you want clear, actionable crypto market insights like this, follow Biturai here on LinkedIn.

Confidential lending is gaining traction as a potential catalyst to unlock institutional capital in DeFi. Fully Homomorphic Encryption (FHE) could let players transact privately onchain, removing a key barrier to large capital entry. https://lnkd.in/dAsMm3Hu