Wholesale Asset Tokenization

Definition ∞ Wholesale asset tokenization is the digital representation of large-scale financial assets for inter-institutional transactions on a blockchain. This process involves converting significant blocks of assets, such as central bank money, interbank securities, or other institutional-grade financial instruments, into digital tokens. The objective is to streamline back-office processes, reduce settlement times, and lower operational costs for financial institutions. It enables permissioned access and programmable features tailored for regulated wholesale markets, enhancing efficiency and transparency in interbank settlements and capital markets.
Context ∞ Wholesale asset tokenization is a significant area of focus for central banks and major financial institutions globally, exploring how distributed ledger technology can modernize existing financial market infrastructures. Discussions frequently address the legal and regulatory frameworks necessary to support the issuance and transfer of these tokenized wholesale assets, particularly concerning digital central bank money. Future developments will likely involve pilot programs and live deployments by central banks and commercial banks, aiming to revolutionize interbank operations and large-value payments.