HSBC and Standard Chartered have completed the first live cross-border banking transaction on Swift's new 24/7 blockchain-based ledger, marking a significant milestone in Swift's pilot project to pivot from messaging to settlement as it adapts to the rise of stablecoins and tokenized deposits.
HSBC is launching its first Global AI Centre of Excellence in Singapore in the second half of 2026, planning to hire more than 100 AI specialists and 100 wealth relationship managers. The center will focus on developing scalable AI capabilities for payments, wealth management, and treasury operations across HSBC's global network.
Britain announced plans to conduct its first tokenized sovereign bond transaction, known as DIGIT, by the first quarter of 2027. HSBC became the first Digital Securities Sandbox entrant to receive Gate 2 approval from the Bank of England to provide live Digital Securities Depository services through HSBC Orion. Industry experts said the initiative's success depends on developing adequate on-chain cash settlement infrastructure.
Digital Asset Holdings secured $355 million in funding led by Andreessen Horowitz, with participation from HSBC, Apollo, CME, BNP Paribas, Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, and over 20 other institutional investors. The round values the Canton Network blockchain developer at approximately $2 billion and will fund expansion of its institutional tokenization infrastructure.
