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The CEO of Standard Chartered, Bill Winters, says that the financial world is on the verge of a major transformation, predicting that almost all global transactions will eventually settle on blockchain networks.
Key tips:
- Standard Chartered CEO Bill Winters predicts that almost all global transactions will eventually be settled on blockchain networks.
- Winters said the transition to digital money will require years of collaboration.
- The bank is expanding its blockchain projects, including a stablecoin and tokenization pilots backed by the Hong Kong dollar.
talk at Hong Kong FinTech Week on MondayWinters said digital money and blockchain-based settlements will define the next era of global finance.
“Our belief, which I think is shared by the Hong Kong leadership, is that almost all transactions will settle on blockchains eventually, and that all money will be digital,” he said.
Blockchain Shift Will Require “Complete Rewiring” of Global Finance
Winters added that change will take years of experimentation and collaboration between governments, regulators and the private sector.
“Think about what that means: a complete rewiring of the financial system,” he said.
Standard Chartered, headquartered in London and listed in London and Hong Kong, has been one of the most active traditional banks embracing blockchain technology.
The bank operates digital asset custody services, trading platforms and tokenization initiatives.
Winters praised Hong Kong’s role in pioneering regulation and innovation, highlighting the city’s leadership in digital finance alongside Financial Secretary Paul Chan.
The remarks come as Hong Kong pushes to cement itself as Asia’s crypto and digital asset hub, with a licensing regime for exchanges and pilots in tokenization, a field in which Standard Chartered is directly involved.
Tokenized assets, such as digital representations of bonds, stocks, or commodities, can be registered and exchanged on blockchains.
Standard Chartered is also developing a stablecoin backed by the Hong Kong dollar in partnership with Animoca Brands and HKT under the city’s new regulatory framework.
Winters said he sees the project as a key step toward building a new digital payment infrastructure for international trade.
The head of Standard Chartered joins a growing chorus of the main financial leaders who bet on tokenization.
Robinhood CEO Vlad Tenev recently called tokenization a “freight train” headed to major markets within five years, while BlackRock CEO Larry Fink said earlier this year that tokenized securities eventually include “every asset class”, enhancing global investment.
Standard Chartered’s SC Ventures to Launch $250M Digital Asset Fund
As reported, Standard Chartered’s venture arm, SC Ventures, plans to launch a $250 million fund in 2026 focused on digital assets and financial services innovation, with the support of Middle Eastern investors.
Speaking at the Fintech Money 20/20 conference in Riyadh, SC Ventures operating member Gautam Jain said the fund will target blockchain, tokenization and other regulated digital asset opportunities as the firm deepens its fintech footprint.
Alongside this initiative, SC Ventures aims to establish a $100 million African fund and is weighing the launch of its first venture debt fund.
Founded in 2018, SC Ventures has expanded aggressively across regions, including launching operations in Saudi Arabia earlier this year, and plans to create a domestic fund there focused on minorities and new business ventures by 2026.
In the early days of 2025, Standard Chartered has secured a Luxembourg license tor provide crypto custody under the EU’s MiCA framework.
This came later the bank has launched crypto custody services in the UAE after obtaining a DFSA license in Dubai.
