DTCC joins ERC-3643 Association to advance Ethereum-based tokenized securities

To promote Ethereum’s ERC-3643 standard for permissioned securities tokens, the Depository Trust and Clearing Corporation, the main U.S. clearinghouse for securities transactions, has joined the ERC-3643 Association.

The announcement, made on Mar. 20 in a press release, indicates DTCC’s growing engagement with blockchain-based financial solutions. ERC-3643, also known as the T-REX protocol, is an open-source smart contract standard designed for issuing and managing permissioned tokens. 

It ensures that only authorized users, even on public blockchains, can hold these assets by using a decentralized identity framework. More than 40 tokens have been developed and managed using the standard, which has been used to tokenize $28 billion worth of assets across more than 180 jurisdictions.

ERC-3643 will be integrated into DTCC’s ComposerXTM platform, which includes ComposerX Factory, a tokenization engine for managing financial data. This integration aims to improve risk management, security, and compliance in digital asset markets while reducing operational costs and complexity.

Additionally, by linking real-world assets to a larger spectrum of market participants, ERC-3643’s automated procedures are expected to improve liquidity, speed up settlements, and increase transparency.

“DTCC’s commitment to the open-source ERC3643 token standard aligns perfectly with our vision of creating a more efficient and secure financial market.”

— Nadine Chakar, Global Head of DTCC Digital Assets

In 2023, DTCC processed $3 quadrillion in securities transactions and held $85 trillion in assets in more than 150 countries. It has been testing blockchain applications, such as tokenized private asset tokenization on an Avalanche (AVAX) subnet and tokenized U.S. Treasury Bill settlements on the Canton Network.

The support from DTCC indicates that American regulators are becoming more receptive to blockchain-based finance. In a related development, the Commodity Futures Trading Commission has also been exploring blockchain applications.

To discuss the launch of its pilot program for digital asset markets, it announced on Feb. 7 that it would host a CEO Forum with prominent industry leaders such as Circle (USDC), Coinbase, Crypto.com, MoonPay, and Ripple (XRP). Stablecoins and other tokenized non-cash collateral are to be tested as part of the initiative.