World Gold Council Releases Framework for Tokenized Gold
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The World Gold Council, in strategic partnership with Boston Consulting Group, announced on Thursday the launch of a new framework designed to standardize the issuance and management of tokenized gold products. Dubbed “Gold as a Service,” the initiative aims to build a shared infrastructure that connects physical gold custody directly with digital financial systems, potentially challenging the dominance of private issuers like Tether and Paxos. EXPLORE: Solana RWAs Tokenization Value Hits Record High Institutional Push to Standardize Fragmented Gold Markets The release marks a significant pivot for the trade association, which represents 29 major gold mining companies. While the World Gold Council pioneered the digitization of gold via the $126 billion SPDR Gold Shares (GLD) ETF in 2004, the modern tokenized gold market has developed largely outside of traditional finance rails. Currently, gold-backed tokens command a market capitalization of approximately $4.9 billion, a sector primarily controlled by crypto-native firms operating within proprietary silos. This fragmentation has created barriers for institutional entry, as banks and asset managers often require standardized compliance and reconciliation layers that independent blockchains may not natively offer. By establishing a unified operational model, the WGC seeks to replicate the standardized trust of the ETF market in the on-chain environment. The move aligns with a broader trend in real-world assets (RWAs), where market makers like Wintermute have predicted a $15 billion tokenized gold boom as smart money increasingly seeks yield-bearing, on-chain collateral. Details of the ‘Gold as a Service’ Framework According to the white paper published alongside the announcement, the “Gold as a Service” platform is built on four core pillars: seamless issuance, enhanced fungibility, embedded trust through continuous audits, and interoperability. The proposed model allows physical gold held in vaults to be digitally represented and traded across various financial systems without compromising the integrity of the underlying…
Filed under: News - @ March 21, 2026 11:24 am