Tokenised Securities: The Infrastructure of Tomorrow's Capital Markets
Tokenized securities are transitioning from experimental pilots to foundational infrastructure for global capital markets, driven by distributed ledger technology. This shift enables 24/7 secondary trading, near-instant settlement, and enhanced collateral mobility, moving beyond traditional T+2 cycles. While many current implementations utilize hybrid models with off-chain registers, Switzerland’s DLT Act provides a legal framework for fully on-chain register value rights. The emergence of regulated stablecoins and tokenized deposits serves as a critical bridge, allowing digital money to settle tokenized assets with matching speed and programmability. Tokenized money market funds have become a primary use case, offering yield-bearing, high-liquidity alternatives to non-interest-bearing stablecoins. Despite these operational efficiencies, the industry faces risks regarding liquidity transformation and the potential for rapid capital flight during market stress. Ultimately, the integration of smart contracts for KYC/AML and automated compliance is reshaping investment management, treasury operations, and collateral management across both decentralized and traditional finance.
