Frankfurt-based 21X, which operates a regulated blockchain-based trading and settlement platform in Europe, has established a US entity in Delaware and is opening an office in New York. The company aims to launch a similar venue for digital financial instruments in the American market, it announced in a press release.
The decision follows meetings earlier this year with U.S. authorities, including the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and the US Crypto Taskforce. 21X says those discussions centred on how distributed ledger technology could be used to improve the efficiency and transparency of capital markets. The company plans to apply for SEC registration before launching its US exchange.
In September, 21X launched its European exchange after receiving a DLT Trading and Settlement System (TSS) licence. The firm says it intends to build on that experience to navigate the more complex US regulatory landscape.
Aiming for atomic settlement
The upcoming platform is expected to enable atomic, peer-to-peer settlement of tokenised instruments such as equities, bonds, real estate, private equity, and funds. Transactions would be recorded on a public blockchain, allowing real-time settlement and full auditability. The approach removes the need for central intermediaries, compressing the post-trade process into a single on-chain event.
If successful, 21X’s expansion would add to the growing list of initiatives exploring how regulated on-chain settlement can be integrated into existing financial infrastructures. While details on timing remain unclear, the company describes the US move as a natural continuation of its European rollout and part of a broader trend toward digital market structures.
