tl;dr
The Depository Trust & Clearing Corporation (DTCC) has launched a new tokenized real-time collateral management platform, known as AppChain, to facilitate digital asset-backed collateral operations across markets in the United States. This initiative, built on LF Decentralized Trust’s Besu blockchai...
The Depository Trust & Clearing Corporation (DTCC) has launched a new tokenized real-time collateral management platform, known as AppChain, to facilitate digital asset-backed collateral operations across markets in the United States. This initiative, built on LF Decentralized Trust’s Besu blockchain and supported by DTCC ComposerX, aims to streamline asset movement across historically siloed infrastructure and address inefficiencies in collateral workflows.
The platform introduces a live digital collateral system for near real-time settlement and automated collateral operations via smart contracts. DTCC's Global Head of Digital Assets, Nadine Chakar, highlighted the platform's potential to provide a more open, flexible, and institutionally viable framework for tokenized collateral across global jurisdictions.
The launch reflects a broader movement across the US financial sector to integrate blockchain-based tokenization, with the market for tokenized real-world assets surpassing $19 billion. The platform's timing coincides with increased regulatory clarity in the US, and DTCC's intent to engage with global regulators and define interoperable standards suggests a sustained effort to align technical innovation with evolving legal frameworks.
The AppChain-based structure of DTCC’s new collateral platform allows for private, secure asset movement while maintaining compliance and institutional control, reflecting a growing trend between traditional and blockchain-native finance.
DTCC’s platform introduces a live digital collateral system that enables near real-time settlement and automated collateral operations via smart contracts. Built on LF Decentralized Trust’s Besu blockchain and supported by DTCC ComposerX, the system operates as part of the broader DTCC Digital Launchpad ecosystem introduced in October 2024. According to the organization, the platform will be publicly demonstrated on April 23 during “The Great Collateral Experiment,” a live showcase of cross-market use cases.
The new approach aims to address long-standing inefficiencies in collateral workflows by streamlining asset movement across historically siloed infrastructure. As DTCC’s Global Head of Digital Assets, Nadine Chakar, stated, the model provides a more open, flexible, and institutionally viable framework than earlier digital collateral pilots. The CTO further emphasized that real-time collateral mobility represents a “killer app” for blockchain in traditional finance, potentially unlocking liquidity during volatile conditions without compromising operational integrity.
DTCC processed $3 quadrillion in securities transactions in 2023 and holds custody of over $85 trillion in assets, making its endorsement a landmark moment in the broader adoption of tokenized systems. DTCC’s launch is emblematic of a broader movement across the US financial sector to integrate blockchain-based tokenization. The market for tokenized real-world assets surpassed $19 billion, up from $10 billion a year prior. Parallel initiatives from financial giants, including BlackRock, JP Morgan, Apollo, and Franklin Templeton, reinforce the institutional shift. The regulatory foundations have enabled institutional participation, with the Lummis-Gillibrand Act and the Digital Commodity Exchange Act, both passed in 2024, providing clearer asset classification rules and reducing custody-related restrictions.
The platform’s timing coincides with increased regulatory clarity in the US. The DTCC’s stated intent to engage with global regulators and define interoperable standards suggests a sustained effort to align technical innovation with evolving legal frameworks. The AppChain-based structure of DTCC’s new collateral platform allows for private, secure asset movement while maintaining compliance and institutional control. Built atop Ethereum-compatible infrastructure, LF Decentralized Trust’s Besu network ensures scalability and data integrity. The platform’s open architecture and common standards are designed to support seamless integration with legacy systems and decentralized networks. This hybrid architecture reflects a growing trend between traditional and blockchain-native finance.
Collateral mobility has emerged as a key driver of institutional tokenization adoption. Tokenized systems enable assets to be reused, rehypothecated, and transferred across jurisdictions and platforms without traditional frictions or T settlement delays.