Leading Wall Street operator Depository Trust & Clearing Corporation (DTCC) announced Monday that it will begin limited production trading of tokenized securities in July, with a broader launch of its platform planned for October.
The service, built within DTCC’s Depository Trust Company, will allow companies to issue digital versions of assets already owned, while maintaining the same ownership rights and protections, according to the press release.
The system is shaped with input from more than 50 firms, including BlackRock, Goldman Sachs, JPMorgan and crypto-native companies like Anchorage and Circle, the company said.
This effort marks one of the most concrete timelines ever since moving a core piece of market infrastructure to blockchain-based settlement. DTCC is located at the center of the U.S. markets, processing trillions of transactions daily and serving as the custodian of more than $114 trillion in securities.
Tokenization – the process of representing assets such as stocks or bonds on a blockchain – is attracting growing interest among traditional financial institutions. Supporters say it can reduce settlement times, lower costs and open markets to new participants.
“We believe tokenization will significantly change the way markets operate, bringing new levels of liquidity, transparency and efficiency to investors,” said Frank La Salla, President and CEO of DTCC.
Wall Street’s tokenization push
DTCC’s move comes as other Wall Street operators move toward tokenization.
Nasdaq is working on a framework for companies to issue blockchain-based stocks and is partnering with crypto exchange operator Kraken’s parent company to distribute them globally, with a potential launch as early as 2027. Intercontinental Exchange, owner of the New York Stock Exchange, has also backed tokenized stock projects through a deal with crypto platform OKX, aiming to tap into its large user base.
These efforts reflect a broader race to build what some call an “everything exchange,” where stocks, bonds and digital assets trade on shared infrastructure.
The DTCC has been gradually building up to this point. The company has been testing distributed ledger systems for years and has joined projects such as the institution-focused Canton Network (CC). In December, it obtained a no-action letter from the SEC, allowing it to offer tokenization services for a defined set of assets, including Russell 1000 stocks, ETFs and U.S. Treasuries.
Read more: Here’s why Nasdaq and the owner of the NYSE are putting the $126 trillion stock market on the blockchain
