Deutsche Börse Group views tokenization as a natural evolution of market infrastructure, not a threat to traditional markets. The exchange operator is strategically positioning itself to integrate tokenized and traditional assets into a unified ecosystem.
Carlo Kölzer, head of digital assets at Deutsche Börse and CEO of its trading platform 360T, expressed a bullish outlook on real-world asset tokenization. He envisions a future where digital and traditional markets operate in a closely linked environment. "Our role... is not just to build a bridge between two separate worlds, but to create a truly hybrid market," Kölzer stated.
This vision follows 360T's recent integration of Kraken-backed xStocks, a tokenized equity platform, enabling clients to trade tokenized shares of major companies. Kölzer emphasized that tokenization enhances capital market flexibility and efficiency by transforming, not obsoleting, traditional infrastructures. Trusted institutions remain crucial for risk management, supervision, and ensuring orderly markets in a tokenized environment, demanding greater resilience and transparency.
Deutsche Börse sees tokenization as an opportunity to pioneer new models and guide market transformation with the same trust and confidence it offers today. Despite concerns around asset backing and regulatory frameworks for tokenized assets, Deutsche Börse and 360T remain optimistic about tokenization in Europe, citing progress within established regulations like MiFID. Kölzer highlighted the importance of market integrity and regulated infrastructure, aiming to provide clients with regulated access to assets without uncertainty.