🤑 Crypto’s Grand Ball: A Tenth of Post-Trade Market by 2030? 🕺

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Pray tell, dear reader, can it be true that a tenth of the global post-trade market turnover shall be entrusted to the whims of stablecoins and tokenized securities within the next five years? So declares a survey by the esteemed Citi, with all the gravity of a lady pronouncing upon the latest fashions. 🧐

In their Securities Services Evolution report, released on a Tuesday no less, the investment bank assures us that bank-issued stablecoins are the ne plus ultra for supporting collateral efficiency, fund tokenization, and private market securities. How very modern of them! 💼✨

This report, mind you, polled 537 custodians, banks, broker-dealers, asset managers, and institutional investors across the Americas, Europe, Asia Pacific, and the Middle East between June and July. And what did they find? Why, that over half of these worthy institutions are also dabbling in generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) for post-trades. How delightfully forward-thinking! 🤖

The post-trade market, you see, ensures that securities trades are verified, executed, and finalized-a task as crucial as securing a suitable match in a Jane Austen novel. And Wall Street, ever the trendsetter, has taken a fancy to stablecoins since the US passed laws regulating these tokens earlier this year. How very convenient! 📈

The Crypto Industry’s Tipping Point: A Drama Unfolds

Citi, in their infinite wisdom, declares that since 2021, the adoption of digital assets has progressed from early experimentation to strategic implementation. Yet, the industry has not quite reached its tipping point-though it is, they assure us, “tantalizingly close.” Oh, the suspense! Will it tip, or shan’t it? 🍵

“After years of groundwork, the global post-trade industry looks set for a period of transformation in speed, cost, and resilience on an international scale.”

Survey respondents, ever the pragmatists, marked liquidity and post-trade cost efficiencies as the key drivers of investments into digital ledger technology (DLT). A majority predict that blockchain will significantly impact these areas within the next three years. How very astute of them! 📊

“More than half of the survey’s respondents are clearer than ever that the ability of DLT to increase the velocity of securities around the world’s capital markets can have major impacts on their funding costs, financial resource requirements, and operating costs before 2028,” Citi said. Quite the mouthful, is it not? 🗣️

Some Countries Expect Crypto to Handle More Turnover: A Tale of Regional Ambition

The expectations for digital asset growth are higher in the US, where 14% of all market turnovers are predicted to be conducted using digital or tokenized assets by 2030. Europe, ever the cautious party, expects 10%, while the Asia Pacific trails behind with 9%. How very telling! 🌍

Regional Crypto Expectations

Citi notes that American sentiment in 2025 has been a stand-out development, driven by regulatory changes such as the GENIUS Act, which President Donald Trump signed into law in July. Leadership from firms like stablecoin issuer Circle and asset manager BlackRock has also played its part. How very influential! 🦅

Gen AI Tipped to Play a Factor Too: The New Darling of the Ball

GenAI, that darling of modern innovation, is also expected to play a part in the post-trade market. Some 57% of respondents indicate that their organizations are piloting the technology for post-trade operations. And 67% of institutional investors use GenAI for post-trade reconciliation, reporting, clearing, and settlements. How very efficient! 🤖✨

GenAI in Post-Trade Operations

Generative artificial intelligence, for those not in the know, uses generative models to produce text, images, videos, and forms of data. But the most significant use case, according to respondents, is onboarding-with 83% of brokers, 63% of custodians, and 60% of asset managers employing it to “make a meaningful impact.” How very practical! 📝

“In a world where faster, cleaner onboarding literally means money, this use case appears to be a perfect starting point and an opportunity to bridge the gap between retail and institutional clients,” Citi said. How very astute of them! 💰

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2025-09-03 06:21