OKX, BlackRock, and Standard Chartered launch joint system to create new utility for tokenized real-world assets

Through this joint system, OKX VIP and institutional clients can place BUIDL as collateral held off-exchange under regulated custody with Standard Chartered, while trading seamlessly on the OKX Middle East platform, eliminating the need to move assets between venues. BUIDL can also be deposited and traded on the exchange, and used as high-yield collateral for margin trading.

Combining BlackRock's BUIDL (tokenized by the Securitize project, which proposed to merge the business with Cantor Equity Partners II, Inc. (Nasdaq: CEPT)) and Standard Chartered's regulated custody as a G-SIB, as well as OKX's institutional execution and margining infrastructure, this system provides a unique integration model where custody and collateral trading occur within a single coordinated ecosystem, a key step towards embedding tokenization into the global market infrastructure.

This structure also provides:

• Capital in Action: The ability to use BUIDL as collateral turns unused margin into an income-generating asset.
• Universal Collateral: OKX extends the utility of real-world assets by establishing BUIDL as collateral across the platform.
• Superior protection: With BUIDL protection provided by Standard Chartered, OKX clients receive trading collateral segregated from OKX assets, while maintaining the ability to trade on OKX without transferring custody authority, providing clients with standard exchange protection.

This framework, which involves the world’s largest asset manager, a global tier-1 bank, and a leading digital asset exchange, establishes a new utility system for the cryptocurrency ecosystem. It combines the security of traditional finance (TradFi) with the flexibility of digital markets, embedding RWA tokenization into the foundation of the global market infrastructure.

“BUIDL was designed to link tokenization to short-term Treasury positions, allowing qualified investors to earn U.S. dollar income on a blockchain-based platform,” said Samara Cohen, head of global market development at BlackRock. “[The] collaboration with OKX and Standard Chartered allows qualified investors to unlock new opportunities in the use of collateral.”

“This [collaboration] highlights the potential of tokenizing real-world assets (RWA) at scale. By enabling institutions to deploy BUIDL as on-chain collateral on the OKX global platform, we are increasing capital efficiency by demonstrating how traditional financial instruments can seamlessly operate in digital markets,” said OKX Global Managing Partner Haider Rafik. “Tokenization is about making existing markets faster, more transparent, and more accessible.”

“Our role as a responsible custodian in this initiative reflects our commitment to providing clients with reliable and innovative solutions as the financial ecosystem evolves,” said Margaret Harwood-Jones, Global Head of Financial Services and Securities at Standard Chartered. “By providing BUIDL’s secure custody services for this collateral use case, we are helping to ensure clients have access to digital asset opportunities with high standards of protection and regulatory compliance. This [collaboration] demonstrates how traditional financial institutions and digital market infrastructure can work together to ensure the safety and efficiency of tokenized assets for global investors.”

The launch comes after extensive institutional testing and integration. BlackRock’s BUIDL is issued on a public blockchain and invests in cash, US Treasury bills and repurchase agreements, with proceeds distributed on-chain. Its integration into OKX’s collateral system demonstrates that tokenized RWAs can operate at scale within existing institutional workflows for trading, margining and liquidity management.

Read the country's main IT news in our Telegram

On the topic

Read the country's main IT news in our Telegram