Deutsche central bank joins Singapore’s Project Guardian to advance tokenization, digital funds

The German central bank will participate in the pilot projects launched under Project Guardian to explore asset tokenization and cross border transactions.

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The German central bank (Deutsche Bundesbank) has joined Project Guardian, a Singapore-led initiative pushing to reshape global capital markets through asset tokenization.

The Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) launched Project Guardian in 2022 to unite financial heavyweights and policymakers worldwide. The initiative aims to open new liquidity pathways and set standards for tokenized assets.

The Bundesbank, one of Europe’s key central banks, is participating in Project Guardian’s pilot projects. MAS designed these to foster cross-border digital assets and a cohesive global financial ecosystem.

Burkhard Balz, a member of the Bundesbank’s Executive Board, highlighted the project’s alignment with Europe’s focus on distributed ledger technology (DLT) and blockchain, noting that:

“MAS is working intensively on topics we are also exploring in Europe, like the role of DLT and blockchain in modern finance.”

By joining Project Guardian’s policymaker group, the central bank aims to advance cross-border collaboration and drive discussions on digital asset standardization, allowing it to shape guidelines for regulatory clarity.

The German central bank plans to pilot an interoperable blockchain platform for tokenized and digital funds, which MAS sees as essential for seamless asset management across financial systems.

Project Guardian’s goals include building industry frameworks and governance models for tokenized assets, prioritizing commercially viable digital assets while keeping regulatory safeguards in focus.

The Bundesbank’s involvement highlights the expanding role of central banks in developing a more interconnected, tokenized financial system. Many observers see this partnership as a significant step that may influence Europe’s approach to digital finance and encourage other central banks to engage in similar initiatives.

Project Guardian has brought together major global financial institutions and industry groups to advance asset tokenization and DeFi standards.

Key players include DBS Bank, JP Morgan, and SBI Digital Asset Holdings, which have executed

involving tokenized deposits. Along with, Deutsche Bank, the International Capital Market Association (ICMA), and regulators from the UK, Switzerland, France, and Japan.

The project aims to establish industry standards, foster cross-border collaboration, and build a sustainable digital asset ecosystem.

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