DBS Bank issues blockchain bond as security token – Ledger Insights

Right this moment Singapore’s DBS Bank introduced it has priced its first blockchain digital bond on the DBS Digital Change (DDEx). As with different safety token providing platforms launched by establishments, the primary bond raises a comparatively small quantity of funds for DBS itself. 

The SGD 15 million ($11m) DBS Digital Bond has a six-month maturity, carries a 0.6% coupon and was privately positioned.  

Late final yr, DBS introduced it received regulatory approval for the digital asset change. The answer has three features, a cryptocurrency change launched in December, a safety token platform and digital asset custody, all obtainable solely to accredited buyers. By way of safety token choices (STOs), it targets unlisted shares, bonds, and personal fairness funds. On the latter level, Asia-Pacific property beneath administration make up 28% of the worldwide non-public fairness market, in keeping with Bain.

“This cements our potential to offer built-in options throughout the digital asset worth chain, from deal origination to tokenisation, itemizing, buying and selling, and custody, which in flip opens the door for extra STOs on DDEx,” mentioned Eng-Kwok Seat Moey, Group Head of Capital Markets at DBS. 

By digitizing the bond, the tokenization course of can save substantial prices each at issuance and post-trade prices within the secondary market. In flip, this implies smaller issuances and transactions turn out to be viable. For this bond, the lot dimension is SGD 10,000 as a substitute of the standard SGD 250,000 for wholesale bonds. This is likely one of the explanation why digital property are seen as creating extra liquid markets. Although entry is restricted to accredited buyers, the distinction in lot sizes broadens the market considerably. 

“Whereas most bond tokenisation workout routines introduced in Asia thus far are usually repackaged types of a traditional bond challenge, the present transaction immediately combines current authorized and tax infrastructure necessities with a direct issuance on the digital change in smaller lot sizes,” mentioned Clifford Lee, DBS International Head of Mounted Earnings.

“This bond token construction was solely made doable due to the progressive growth of Singapore’s authorized and tax infrastructure, which might facilitate extra STO issuances to broaden and deepen our capital markets.”

That infrastructure is making Singapore a well-liked vacation spot each for native establishments and world ones. The Singapore Change (SGX) has a ten% share within the DDex. SGX additionally has a digital asset joint venture in affiliation with state-owned funding agency Temasek. And Temasek is DBS Financial institution’s controlling shareholder. 

Moreover, SGX and Temasek’s subsidiary Heliconia Capital Administration are additionally buyers in safety token agency ADDX (previously iSTOX), which just lately tokenized private equity bonds from a wholly-owned Temasek subsidiary.

One instance of overseas curiosity is Japan’s SBI and the Swiss inventory change SIX, that are planning a digital asset change in Singapore.

Final week, DBS, SGX and Temasek introduced plans for a world carbon change CIX utilizing blockchain along side Customary Chartered.