Inside Digital Assets - Tokenization, Digital Assets and new market infrastructures

How will tokenization reshape investment products and the asset management industry? In this episode, Claudio Tognella speaks with Aaron Renkers, Head of Investments Europe at VanEck, a family-owned global asset manager with over USD 250 billion in assets under management. VanEck is known for backing investment themes before they become mainstream. It was among the first to launch a gold fund, started its first ETF in 2006, and today offers ETFs on listed crypto companies and active digital asset strategies. It has also built an NFT collectibles platform, invested in early stage crypto companies, launched a venture fund and tokenized a money market fund. Aaron argues that the full benefits of blockchain for funds will take time to materialize, but that the direction is clear. Even ETFs still carry emails, duplicate processes and middlemen. Moving them on chain enables atomic settlement, efficient collateral movement and eventually 24/7 trading, once liquidity follows. Beyond efficiency, he sees better…

Ten years ago, Bank Frick launched Europe's first crypto-backed note. Today, they're building the regulated infrastructure that will make tokenization invisible to the market, as essential and taken for granted as SWIFT. In this episode, Raphael Haldner, Head of Banking Solutions at Bank Frick, shares the full journey from 2017 to today and offers a compelling vision for the next decade of capital markets. The conversation reveals how institutional client demands have fundamentally transformed. What began as demand for basic trading and custody access has evolved into sophisticated requests for regulated banking infrastructure that seamlessly integrates fiat and stablecoin accounts, permissioned blockchain environments, and compliance-first product development. Raphael explains why money market funds on-chain, brought to market by Franklin Templeton, BlackRock, and others, represent a treasury revolution, with interest paid on a minute-by-minute basis rather than daily or quarterly settlement cycles. A…

When Thomas Moser started his career, he had no idea he'd end up at the Swiss National Bank—let alone leading one of the most ambitious central bank blockchain projects in the world. But sometimes the most interesting paths aren't planned. In this conversation, Moser walks us through the SNB's bold strategy on digital assets: why they're betting on wholesale CBDC over retail, how Project Helvetia is transforming settlement infrastructure, and why open, composable blockchains might be more important than the technology itself. We explore the tensions between public and private blockchains, the real threat stablecoins pose to traditional banking, and a future where intraday interest payments on assets become routine. Most importantly, Moser reveals why collaboration and ecosystem building matter more than technological innovation alone.

In this in-depth conversation, we sit down with Mike Reed, Head of Digital Assets Client Engagement at Franklin Templeton, to explore how the world's leading asset managers are transforming finance through tokenization and blockchain technology. Mike's story is a masterclass in institutional innovation. Having started in the mail room at Franklin Templeton decades ago, he worked his way through trading, sales, and fixed income—all while developing a quiet passion for emerging technologies. That passion led to the creation of Benji, one of the most sophisticated tokenized money market funds in existence. This episode is not about cryptocurrency speculation. It's about institutional-grade infrastructure that solves real problems for treasurers, exchanges, hedge funds, and global financial institutions.

Digital assets, tokenized assets and regulated market infrastructure are becoming increasingly relevant for capital markets. In this episode of Inside Digital Assets, Host Lidia Kurt speaks with Roland Chai, President European Markets and Head of Digital Assets at Nasdaq, about tokenization, DLT and the future of financial market infrastructure. The conversation explores why the impact of tokenization may be strongest beyond trading itself: in post-trade processes, collateral management, asset servicing and the broader lifecycle of financial instruments. Roland Chai also discusses why structured products can be a practical starting point for tokenized market infrastructure, how fragmentation in European capital markets affects issuance and custody, and why interoperability and common standards are essential to avoid new digital silos. The episode also looks at developments in the US and Europe, including regulated frameworks for tokenized securities, digital-native infrastructure and the importance of…

Digital assets, tokenized assets and blockchain infrastructure are becoming increasingly relevant for institutional capital markets. In this episode of Inside Digital Assets, Lidia Kurt speaks with Frank Seibold (Managing Director and Global Head of Banking and Capital Markets at Chainlink). The conversation focuses on the infrastructure needed to make tokenized assets usable beyond digital representation. Key topics include trusted data for smart contracts, the oracle problem, interoperability between blockchain networks, real-time data, smart NAV, corporate actions, settlement and the coexistence of traditional finance and on-chain systems. Frank Seibold explains why tokenization alone is not enough. For digital assets to become relevant in capital markets, they need utility: reliable pricing, efficient settlement, interoperability and integration with existing financial infrastructure.

How can digital assets scale in regulated capital markets? In this episode of Inside Digital Assets, host Lidia Kurt speaks with Ivica Aračić (CTO of SWIAT) about the role of distributed ledger technology in the future of financial market infrastructure. The conversation explores why shared ledgers matter, how tokenized securities can move from pilot projects to productive use, and what is needed for digital assets to become part of everyday capital markets. Key topics include SWIAT’s approach to regulated digital asset infrastructure, the concept of Regulated Layer One, the importance of interoperability, and the role of central bank money in settlement. Ivica also discusses initiatives such as Appia and Pontes, the relevance of delivery versus payment, and why DLT-based financial instruments still need to become “first-class citizens” compared to traditional securities. This episode is for anyone interested in digital assets, tokenization, DLT, shared ledger infrastructure, securities settlement and the…

What does it take for tokenization to create real value in capital markets? In this episode of "Inside Digital Assets", host Claudio Tognella speaks with Tom Rieder (Head of Digital Assets at ISP Group), about the practical implementation of tokenization and the role of digital assets in the future of capital market infrastructure. Tom explains why tokenization should not be an end in itself. Before an asset is tokenized, issuers need to understand the business case, the rights being represented, the target investors and the concrete benefits for all parties involved. The conversation covers real-world use cases such as real estate projects, pre-IPO shares, private equity and fund structures. It also explores why tokenized assets do not automatically become liquid and why secondary markets, custody solutions, distribution channels, market makers and reliable settlement infrastructure are essential. The episode also looks at the role of regulated infrastructure providers such as BX Digital and Seturion, and…

In dieser Folge von «Inside Digital Assets» spricht Host Lidia Kurt, CEO von BX Digital und Seturion, mit Dirk Grunert, Managing Director bei Morgan Stanley, über den technologischen Wandel im Kapitalmarkt und die Frage, warum neue Infrastruktur für Europa immer wichtiger wird. Dirk Grunert gibt Einblicke in das Geschäft mit strukturierten Produkten und erklärt, wie Derivate dabei helfen, Risiken zu verteilen und abzusichern. Gleichzeitig blickt er auf die Entwicklung des Bankings zurück: von physischen Wertpapieren, manuellen Prozessen und Röhrenmonitoren auf dem Trading Floor bis hin zu Online-Banking, Neo-Brokern und digitalen Marktprozessen. Im Zentrum der Episode steht die Tokenisierung von Wertpapieren und Vermögenswerten. Welche Rolle spielen Digital Assets für Banken, Emittenten und Anleger? Warum reichen bestehende Abwicklungs- und Verwahrstrukturen langfristig nicht mehr aus? Und wie kann moderne Settlement-Infrastruktur dazu beitragen, Kapitalmärkte effizienter, transparenter und skalierbarer zu…

In this episode of Inside Digital Assets, host Lidia Kurt speaks with Michael Duttlinger (CEO and Co-Founder of Cashlink) about one of the key infrastructure challenges in Europe’s digital asset market: issuance. The conversation explores why the future of tokenized capital markets is unlikely to be fully decentralized, and why regulated intermediaries will continue to play an important role. Michael explains how the German crypto securities registrar model works, why it matters for institutional trust, and how it helps connect blockchain-based securities with the requirements of regulated capital markets. The episode also looks at Europe’s broader issuance landscape. While trading and settlement frameworks are evolving, issuance remains largely shaped by national regimes. Michael shares why this creates structural challenges for scaling tokenized securities across Europe, and which jurisdictions are likely to play a leading role in the years ahead. Another focus is the shift from pilot projects to real…

In dieser Episode von Inside Digital Assets spricht Host Lidia Kurt mit Christoph Hock, Head of Tokenisation and Digital Assets bei Union Investment, über die nächste Entwicklungsphase digitaler Vermögenswerte und die Frage, warum der Markt gerade jetzt an Dynamik gewinnt. Im Gespräch geht es darum, weshalb technologische Umbrüche für etablierte Marktteilnehmer strategisch entscheidend sind, welche Rolle Regulierung, Marktinfrastruktur und Cash on-chain für die Weiterentwicklung des Ökosystems spielen und warum offene, partnerschaftliche Lösungen für tokenisierte Wertpapiere so wichtig sind. Christoph Hock ordnet ein, wie sich der Markt für Digital Assets in Europa entwickelt, welche Impulse aktuell aus den USA und von Fintechs kommen und weshalb Themen wie 24/7-Handel, instantanes Settlement und tokenisierte Geldmarktfonds weit über einzelne Pilotprojekte hinausweisen. Die Episode bietet spannende Einblicke für alle, die besser verstehen möchten, wie sich Kapitalmarkt, Asset Management und digitale…

Wann schafft Tokenisierung den Sprung vom viel diskutierten Zukunftsthema zur breiten Marktanwendung? In dieser Episode von Inside Digital Assets spricht Host Lidia Kurt mit Thomas Eichenberger, Chief Strategy Officer und stellvertretendem CEO von Sygnum, über die nächste Entwicklungsphase digitaler Assets und darüber, was es braucht, damit tokenisierte Vermögenswerte wirklich skalieren können. Im Fokus stehen reale Anwendungsfälle, die zeigen, wie Tokenisierung heute bereits umgesetzt wird: von der Tokenisierung eines Picasso-Gemäldes bis hin zu Projekten mit etablierten Partnern aus der traditionellen Finanzindustrie wie Hamilton Lane oder Fidelity International. Die Episode macht deutlich, wo Blockchain-Technologie bereits konkreten Mehrwert schafft und wo noch Hürden bestehen. Gleichzeitig geht es um die strukturellen Fragen hinter dem Wachstum des Marktes: Warum sind regulierte Sekundärmärkte so wichtig? Welche Rolle spielen Liquidität, Marktinfrastruktur und regulatorische Klarheit? Und welche…

In this episode of Insights Digital Assets, Lidia Kurt sits down with Markus Fehn, head of strategy and innovation at Chartered Investment. They discuss how investment products are moving from traditional rails to tokenized capital markets and how to do so in a regulated, scalable way. Markus explains Chartered Investment’s platform approach of helping professional clients structure and issue investment products across three core areas: actively managed products, real-world asset products, and classic structured notes. He also discusses why tokenization is becoming a major growth driver. The conversation explores two key motivations: improving the efficiency of the entire product lifecycle (issuance, operations, accounting, and settlement) and expanding accessibility globally through new distribution channels. Concrete real-world examples are provided, including a physically backed tokenized gold product ("Green Gold"), tokenized real estate debt issuances, and rising demand from asset managers to bring…

In dieser Episode spricht Host Lidia Kurt mit Erik Haubold (Head of Private Investor Products Zentraleuropa, UniCredit) darüber, warum Tokenisierung vor allem dort wirkt, wo Kunden sie kaum sehen: in der Finanzmarktinfrastruktur. Erik nimmt uns mit von den frühen Tagen handschriftlicher Trade-Sheets bis zur heutigen Diskussion rund um DLT-basierte Wertpapiere und erklärt, weshalb Banken das Thema nicht als „Krypto-Hype“, sondern als technologischen Effizienzsprung verstehen sollten. Im Fokus der Folge: Wie sich Wertpapierprozesse in 27 Jahren verändert haben und warum der nächste Schub exponentiell sein könnte. Welche Use Cases Banken besonders interessieren (Custody, bilaterale Lösungen, massgeschneiderte Produkte). Warum eine europaweite Abwicklungsplattform Standards vereinfachen, Geschwindigkeit erhöhen und Risiken reduzieren kann. Wie ein „Lebensdepot“ aussehen könnte, in dem Investments, Cash und Alltagstransaktionen nahtlos zusammenfliessen. Woher Skepsis kommt und warum Education und Übersetzung in…

In this episode of Inside Digital Assets, host Lidia Kurt is joined by a leading voice from the tokenization space to unpack a key milestone: the partnership between BX Digital and Ondo and what it means for bringing real-world capital market products on-chain. We discuss how tokenized securities are moving from early pilots to scalable infrastructure,and why many players are starting with highly liquid assets such as U.S. Treasuries, stocks, and ETFs. The conversation dives into what it really takes to “bring TradFi liquidity on-chain”: price discovery, investor protection, and why connecting trading to efficient settlement remains one of the biggest opportunities. You’ll also hear what teams have learned since launching a tokenized global markets offering, who is using these products today - from retail investors in underserved markets to crypto-native whales and what still needs to happen for broader institutional adoption. Key topics in this episode: - Why tokenization often starts with liquid assets -…

In dieser Episode spricht Host Lidia Kurt mit Roger Darin (Incore Bank) über die Frage, wann Tokenisierung im Kapitalmarkt wirklich Mehrwert schafft und welche Rolle Banken, Regulierung und ein funktionierender Sekundärhandel dabei spielen. Roger erklärt, wie sich der Markt von „Innovation um der Innovation willen“ hin zu klaren wirtschaftlichen Zielen entwickelt hat. Im Gespräch geht es um tokenisierte Wertpapiere in der Praxis, die Vision durchlässiger Systeme (vom Primärmarkt bis zum regulierten Handelsplatz) und die operativen Herausforderungen rund um Einlieferung, KYC/AML und den Umgang mit Tokens aus dezentralen Ökosystemen. Ein weiterer Schwerpunkt: Wie verändern sich Kapitalaufnahme und Emissionen durch Token? Was hat die ICO-Welle 2017 gezeigt und warum werden Token-Ausgaben heute professioneller? Ausserdem diskutieren Beide über Custody vs. Self-Custody, Gebührenlogiken und warum am Ende nicht die Technologie entscheidet, sondern der Use Case. Zum Abschluss ordnet Roger ein, warum ein regulierter…

In the first episode of Inside Digital Assets, host Lidia Kurt (CEO of BX Digital and Seturion) speaks with Dr Matthias Voelkel, CEO of Boerse Stuttgart Group, about the future of European capital market infrastructure. They start by discussing a key issue: Europe’s capital markets are highly fragmented, shaped by national silos and complex post-trade structures. Matthias explains how this fragmentation drives higher costs, slower settlement cycles, and barriers to cross-border activity, which ultimately affecting investors. They discuss why DLT opens a real window of opportunity for change, and what it would take to move toward a more open, pan-European settlement layer. A key point: trading can remain off-chain and largely unchanged, while post-trade settlement (delivery-versus-payment) becomes more efficient using either traditional central-bank payment rails or digital cash options such as stablecoins. In this episode: - Why Europe’s capital markets are fragmented and what that means in practice. -…

Inside Digital Assets ist der Interview-Podcast über Tokenisierung, Digital Assets und die Technologien, die sie im Kapitalmarkt praktikabel machen. Im Fokus stehen reale Use Cases: von Emission und Strukturierung über Handel, Abwicklung und Verwahrung bis zu Governance, Compliance und Technologie-Architektur.