Morgan Stanley says it is among the first banks to use a new Wall Street tokenization system, turning US stocks and Treasuries into digital versions that trade on a blockchain.
The bank said in a post on X that it began tokenization after the launch of the Depository Trust & Clearing Corporation’s Tokenization Service, or DTS. DTCC is the company that clears and settles most US stock and bond trades. The service went live Oct. 28.
Amy Oldenburg, Morgan Stanley’s head of digital assets strategy, said the experience will shape what the bank builds next.
“The hands-on experience of integrating tokenized securities with established market infrastructure will inform the continued development of the firm’s digital asset capabilities as the market evolves,” Oldenburg said.
Tokenizing means creating a digital version of a security that can be freely traded on the blockchain 24/7.
Under DTS, DTCC’s Depository Trust Company mints tokens that represent securities it already holds. DTCC says the tokens keep the same ownership rights and investor protections as the originals. Users can swap between the two forms and send tokens to their own digital wallets.