Tokenisation in finance is no longer a theoretical discussion but has become a strategic priority for institutions around the world. Explore how technology is changing the way we trade with Roland Chai, president of European Markets, head of Digital Assets, and EVP, Nasdaq, at the upcoming PostTrade 360° conference. He will be taking to the stage on 2 September in a session titled DLT: how exchanges are tokenising.
“This discussion about integrating DLT into existing market infrastructure has arrived at a genuine inflection point,” says Chai. “After more than a decade of conversation, we are finally seeing genuine institutional adoption. The decisions we make now will shape how markets evolve for years to come.”
Cleary, the authorities and major institutions are currently carrying a lot of responsibility. “The foundations that make public markets powerful engines of economic growth – deep liquidity, transparency, and integrity – must remain guiding principles as digital and mainstream finance converge,” Chai cautions. “Exchanges, post-trade providers, and regulators each have a pivotal role in ensuring tokenisation advances, rather than dilutes, those qualities… The goal is not to reinvent the rails, but to upgrade them in a way that serves the entire ecosystem, responsibly and at scale.”
If that can be achieved, then he predicts that tokenisation would represent a “powerful opportunity”, bringing the efficiency and programmability of blockchain technology into the heart of regulated markets. “The most durable innovations will be those built through coordination across the ecosystem, with all participants moving forward together.”
The time certainly looks ripe for this digital overhaul. Chai singles out two developments on both sides of the Atlantic that are signalling the market’s readiness – the approval of Nasdaq’s proposal to enable the trading of tokenised securities by the US’ Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), and new policies in Europe.
Chai describes the approval of Nasdaq’s proposal, together with the classification of tokenised equities under existing federal securities law, decisive milestones. “They confirm that mainstream market infrastructure can embrace tokenisation confidently within the frameworks that govern public markets,” he says.
Meanwhile in Europe, “The DLT Pilot Regime and the ambition of the Savings and Investment Union (SIU) are creating the policy conditions for ecosystem-wide adoption, and momentum is building.”
“Together, these developments signal that the global regulatory environment is aligning in a way that makes this the right moment for exchanges, infrastructure providers, issuers, and regulators to shape common standards and build the interoperable, institutional-grade infrastructure that will define the next era of capital markets.”
• For more information about the PostTrade 360° conference happening on 2-3 September 2026 and to register, click here
