Traditional US Players Build New Digital Asset Partnerships

Information current as of 16 April 2026

Nasdaq Gets SEC Approval for Tokenised Securities

In a landmark move that bridges traditional finance and blockchain technology, the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has approved Nasdaq’s proposal to trade and settle certain securities in tokenised form. 

The decision gives the go-ahead for the world’s second-largest stock exchange to integrate blockchain-based digital tokens directly into its core equity markets for the first time.

Nasdaq’s rule change, originally filed in September 2025 and refined over seven months, allows listed stocks and exchange-traded products (ETPs) to exist in two parallel versions: the familiar paper-trail equivalent and a blockchain-native token that represents the exact same ownership rights.

Settlement will run through the Depository Trust Company’s (DTC) regulated pilot program.

Initially, the pilot will limit tokenised trading to high-volume, liquid assets to minimise risk and ensure smooth integration. 

NYSE Signs MoU with Securitize to Support Tokenised Securities

The New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) has announced a partnership and signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Securitize, an asset tokenisation company and transfer agent, to support the development of NYSE's tokenised securities markets (the Digital Trading Platform). 

Under the terms of the partnership, the NYSE and Securitize will develop a digital transfer agent program intended to support on-chain settlement of tokenised securities transactions, with Securitize as a premier design partner. The initiative will define the role of transfer agent infrastructure in maintaining official records of ownership, supporting corporate actions and ensuring that tokenised securities markets meet the standards of traditional markets.

Furthermore, the companies aim to develop standards for digital transfer agents and tokenisation agents, with a focus on establishing regulatory, operational, and technology requirements for tokenised securities infrastructure. Securitize has also been named as the first digital transfer agent for the Digital Trading Platform. In this capacity, the company will mint blockchain-native securities for corporate or ETF issuers.

Broadridge Extends Governance Platform to Support Digital Assets 

Broadridge Financial Solutions has announced the extension of its governance platform to support digital assets. 

This new capability enables public companies and funds, broker-dealers, wealth managers, and retail and institutional investors, to manage proxy voting, corporate actions, and disclosures across both traditional and tokenised securities within their existing platforms and workflows. The new tokenised equity capability complements Broadridge’s tokenisation capabilities, which already process $8 trillion in tokenised assets per month. 

Galaxy, the first US public company to issue native tokenised equity on a major public blockchain, will utilise Broadridge’s platform for its upcoming annual meeting and shareholder vote in May, marking a significant step in the adoption of digital assets within public markets.

“Ensuring accurate, scalable, and cost-effective governance has never been more critical to supporting the growth of tokenised equities,” said Tim Gokey, CEO of Broadridge. 

Nasdaq Partners with Talos to Advance Tokenised Collateral Management

Nasdaq has announced a partnership with Talos, a global supplier of digital assets infrastructure, to connect Nasdaq's Calypso and Trade Surveillance platforms with Talos' digital asset infrastructure. The partnership is aimed at developing an integrated solution for the management of tokenised collateral, allowing market participants to integrate digital assets into their existing risk management and collateral workflows.

The integration between Talos and Nasdaq's Calypso, a platform that manages risk, margin and collateral requirements across mainstream asset classes, would allow market participants to manage collateral workflows in both traditional and tokenised formats through an integrated environment. This would streamline access to tokenised collateral, enabling the real-time mobility of assets across platforms and jurisdictions.

This partnership also allows Talos' clients to access Nasdaq's Trade Surveillance, a platform designed to detect and investigate potential market abuse across both traditional and digital asset markets.

An official timeline for the roll-out of the project is yet to be announced.

HSBC and Standard Chartered Granted Hong Kong Stablecoin Issuer Licences

The Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA) has announced that the Monetary Authority has granted stablecoin issuer licences under the Stablecoins Ordinance to Anchorpoint Financial Limited and HSBC for issuing stablecoins in Hong Kong.  The licences took effect on 11 April 2026.

Eddie Yue, Chief Executive of the HKMA said: “The granting of stablecoin issuer licences is an important milestone for the development of digital assets in Hong Kong.  The regulatory regime provides an orderly operating environment for stablecoin issuers to apply innovative technologies while ensuring robust user protection and effective risk management, which will foster the development of a healthy, responsible, and sustainable stablecoin ecosystem.” 

Standard Chartered Considers Buyout of Crypto Custody Subsidiary Zodia

According to Bloomberg, Standard Chartered PLC is reportedly seeking to fully acquire Zodia Custody Ltd. to merge it with one of its digital asset divisions. Standard Chartered’s venture arm, SC Ventures, currently owns the majority of Zodia Custody’s stock.

The bank is considering keeping Zodia Custody as a separate software-as-a-service platform for crypto custody, even as it restructures the business.

Standard Chartered has expanded its digital asset footprint in recent years. The bank launched its own digital asset custody services out of Luxembourg in January 2025 and introduced crypto trading for institutional clients last summer, becoming one of the first global banks to offer spot bitcoin and ether trading.

Six Swiss Banks to Test CHF Stablecoin

UBS, PostFinance, Sygnum, Raiffeisen, Zürcher Kantonalbank, and BCV, together with Swiss Stablecoin AG, are testing selected use cases for a CHF stablecoin in Switzerland in a secure digital live environment (sandbox).

In doing so, the partners are exploring ways to connect blockchain applications with the Swiss franc, aiming to strengthen both the Swiss digital money ecosystem and the competitiveness of Switzerland’s financial centre.

The participating companies are pursuing several overarching goals with this initiative. They aim to support the development of a Swiss ecosystem for digital money, build new capabilities and experience in handling digital payment methods, and gain practical insights. The focus is on more efficient processes and delivering real benefits for clients.

The sandbox is based on an initial list of potential use cases that are being developed jointly. The technical infrastructure for issuing the stablecoin is provided by Swiss Stablecoin AG. The sandbox will be conducted in 2026, and is also open to other interested banks, companies, and institutions wishing to contribute to the development of a CHF stablecoin.

Australia Updates Digital Asset Regulatory Regime

Australia passed the Corporations Amendment (Digital Assets Framework) Bill 2025 on 1 April 2026. This amends the Corporations Act 2001 and Australian Securities and Investments Commission Act 2001 to update Australia’s digital asset regulatory regime by:

• Defining the core concepts of digital tokens, digital asset platforms and tokenised custody platforms.
• Applying financial services law in a way that is tailored to these platforms. 
• Providing targeted exemptions for certain digital token arrangements. 
• Providing the Australian Securities and Investments Commission and the Minister with powers to regulate these platforms.

As part of the Framework, licensed operators must follow standardised safeguards, disclosures, dispute resolution and compensation systems.

The law aims to reduce insolvency risks by targeting intermediaries rather than tokens, and could unlock billions in digital asset and tokenised market activity.

Swift’s Blockchain-Based Shared Ledger Moves to MVP Implementation

Swift has successfully completed the design phase of its blockchain-based shared ledger and is now actively building the first iteration that will enable interoperability between banks’ tokenised deposits to facilitate 24/7 cross-border payments.

The MVP of the ledger is planned to go-live with real-world transactions this year as Swift works in parallel with banks internationally to define a roadmap of future functionality, the exploration of other on-chain settlement assets, and use cases, to accelerate the industry’s transition to digital finance across more than 200 countries and territories. 

Since announcing plans for the ledger in September 2025, a group involving a global cohort of banks have worked together to shape the design, exploring how a shared interbank ledger could help banks coordinate cross-border payments more effectively as industry expectations shift toward ‘always-on’ services.  

Bitcoin Gets First Bond Rating as Moody's Grades New Hampshire Deal

Moody's has issued its first credit rating to Bitcoin-backed bonds - the first time a major credit agency has rated a bond directly collateralised by Bitcoin. Moody’s Ratings has assigned a provisional Ba2 rating to a pair of Bitcoin-backed revenue bonds to be issued through the Business Finance Authority of the State of New Hampshire.

The Ba2 rating places them two notches below investment grade, in speculative territory - but the assignment itself marks a milestone.

The bonds are limited-recourse instruments, meaning no New Hampshire public funds are on the line, and the state's Business Finance Authority is acting as a conduit issuer. Repayment comes solely from the liquidation of Bitcoin held in custody by BitGo Bank & Trust, Moody's explained in a press release.

DTCC Digital Assets Solutions Launches

Following regulatory authorisation in December, The Depository Trust & Clearing Corporation (DTCC) has launched a new business line, DTCC Digital Assets Solutions, to tokenise real world DTC custodied assets.

According to DTCC, this step reflects growing client interest in tokenisation and builds upon the work of DTCC Digital Assets, which remains at the forefront of developing digital financial market infrastructure.

Together, the two businesses will partner to strengthen DTCC’s leadership role as a bridge between traditional market infrastructure and emerging digital asset ecosystems.

Apex Group to Expand Digital Asset Servicing Capabilities

Apex Group Ltd, a leading global financial services provider, plans to expand its digital asset servicing capabilities through a new collaboration between the European Depositary Bank (EDB) and Zodia Custody, the institutional full-service digital assets provider.

The initiative, subject to the relevant regulatory approvals for EDB across Luxembourg (CSSF), Ireland (CBI) and Malta (MFSA), will support the development of a trusted digital sub-custody service to meet growing client demand for secure and compliant access to digital assets, without requiring institutions to build parallel infrastructure from the ground up.

Coinbase Receives Conditional OCC Approval for a National Trust Bank Charter

Coinbase is the latest in a line of digital asset firms to receive conditional approvalfrom the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) for a national trust bank charter.

Coinbase has stressed that it is not becoming a commercial bank; it will not be taking retail deposits or be engaging in fractional reserve banking.

Coinbase has said that federal oversight through the OCC will bring consistency and uniformity to their custody business and create a foundation for new products - including payments and related services - that serve the institutions and individuals who rely on them.