Australia’s Tokenization Push Could Cement ‘Even Greater Financial Control’
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In brief Australia has approved 24 tokenized asset trials using real money, CBDCs, and stablecoins under the ASIC-backed Project Acacia. The pilots will involve major banks and fintechs in testing blockchain-based settlements One Industry observer told Decrypt the project favors permissioned systems and established financial players. Australia’s top financial watchdog has approved a select group of firms to pilot real-money transactions using central bank digital currency and stablecoins, marking the country’s most ambitious foray yet into tokenized finance. The Australian Securities and Investments Commission said Wednesday it would grant regulatory relief to 14 participants in Project Acacia, a joint effort between the Reserve Bank of Australia and the Digital Finance Cooperative Research Centre aimed at testing how digital forms of money can support institutional trading of tokenized assets. Tokenized assets are digital representations of real-world assets, such as bonds, property, or commodities, recorded on blockchain technology, enabling fractional ownership and faster settlement of traditional financial instruments. The latest development represents Australia’s most ambitious attempt at tokenized finance, with potential annual economic gains of up to $12.4 billion, according to recent DFCRC research. The 24 selected use cases span diverse asset classes, including fixed income, private markets, trade receivables, and carbon credits. Major financial institutions, including ANZ, Commonwealth Bank of Australia, and Westpac, will participate alongside fintech companies like Fireblocks and Zerocap in what officials describe as “world-first” testing scenarios. The regulatory clearance enables responsible testing of tokenized asset transactions between participants and financial institutions over the coming months, with ASIC’s relief supporting streamlined pilot operations that would otherwise face regulatory barriers. A test of technology and ideology “Governments worldwide are rushing to develop state-sanctioned blockchain solutions” that offer “none of the real innovation provided by Bitcoin, instead offering options mired in centralization and control,” Kadan Stadelmann, Chief Technology Officer at…
Filed under: News - @ July 10, 2025 5:29 pm