The Depository Trust & Clearing Corporation (DTCC) said Monday that it has made fresh progress and clarified its timeline for its tokenization service, an initiative to bring real-world tokenized securities to the same infrastructure currently used by U.S. capital markets.
Two-phase implementation for tokenized RWAs
DTCC he said the service will be implemented in two phases. It plans to facilitate initial, circumscribed “production” transactions of Real Assets (RWA) that have been tokenized using the tokenization service in July 2026. After this trial period, DTCC expects a more complete launch of the service in October of this year.
DTCC’s tokenization service, as described in its release, aims to tokenize real assets held by DTC while maintaining the fundamental rights that investors expect from securities held in a time-honored form.
The company said tokenized assets backed by a depository company (DTC) would provide “the same powers, investor protections and property rights” as conventional care arrangements.
DTCC further emphasized that the service builds on DTC’s existing resilience and accountability, noting that DTC already holds over $114 trillion in assets.
In remarks accompanying the announcement, Brian Steele, DTCC’s managing director and president of clearing and securities services, said the goal was to provide “systemic scale where deep liquidity already exists.”
Steele also described these efforts as a way to develop services “adapting” to both current industry needs and expected future requirements as the market collectively builds what DTCC calls ” digital ecosystem“
How DTCC plans to connect TradFi and DeFi
DTCC’s digital assets leadership also linked the initiative to broader infrastructure goals. Nadine Chakar, DTCC managing director and global head of digital assets, said tokenization is a “critical step” towards building digital infrastructure for the future.
She added that DTCC’s goal is to remain at the forefront of innovation by supporting a scalable, interoperable and risk-managed Web3 environment that leverages digital land and mortgage register technology deliver real value to the wider industry.
The DTCC said companies involved in the Industry Working Group represent a broad cross-section of roles, including custodians, asset managers, brokers, trading venues, application providers and back-office service providers.
Participating companies include Anchorage Digital, Bank of America, BitGo Bank, BlackRock and Ripple Prime, as well as over 50 other companies in the time-honored finance (TradFi) and crypto industries.
DTCC President and CEO Frank La Salla described the project as a step towards connecting TradFi and decentralized finance (DeFi) through a structured, continuous dialogue.
La Salla said DTCC continues to convene a broad group of industry leaders for support adoption of digital resources and innovation, and that the organization sees its vision for tokenization as realized through both the launch of the service and the “successful combination of TradFi and DeFi.”
Featured image from OpenArt, chart from TradingView.com
