{
  "id": 1920544,
  "title": "Custody Evolution In the Era of Asset Convergence",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/19/custody-evolution-in-the-era-of-asset-convergence-1920544",
  "topic": "finance",
  "section": "Finance & Markets",
  "published": "2026-08-19T09:17:28.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Global Finance",
    "slug": "global-finance",
    "url": "https://gfmag.com/transaction-banking/custody-evolution-in-the-era-of-asset-convergence/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "The global financial landscape is experiencing a significant transformation, with institutional investors prioritizing resilience-building strategies amidst recent challenging market conditions. Ee Fong Soh, Group Head of Financial Institutions, Securities & Fiduciary Services, Global Transaction Services, DBS Bank, notes that while clients' approaches to building resilience vary, diversification and asset safety remain common objectives. The advent of technological and regulatory advancements is driving a convergence of digital and traditional asset ecosystems, particularly in Asia. In a recent survey conducted among global financial institutions, 83.8% of respondents from the Asia-Pacific (APAC) region identified custody as the top priority for digital asset use cases within the next 24 months, making it the leading digital-asset priority compared to its third-ranked position globally. DBS Bank has been at the forefront of innovation, balancing progress in both traditional and digital asset custody. By pioneering solutions in both domains, DBS has empowered clients to achieve new operational efficiencies and growth opportunities. In the realm of traditional assets, infrastructure enhancements and market access diversification are making strides in Asia. For instance, DBS became the first foreign bank approved as an RMB clearing bank and operates in China's OTC bond market, offering clients broader and more diverse market opportunities. Additionally, DBS introduced the 'One Bank' model for asset managers, merging banking and custody solutions, while partnerships with institutions like Franklin Templeton and Ripple have expanded optionality for diversification needs. In the digital asset space, DBS recently became the first Asian bank to offer collateral agent services for crypto trading, enabling crypto exchanges and their members to enhance trading capacity. Moreover, the bank issued the first tokenized structured notes on a public blockchain and listed them on its DBS Digital Exchange (DDEx). Looking ahead, custodians must maintain a relentless pace of innovation to meet rising demand across asset classes in the digital age. Ee Fong Soh highlights the establishment and expansion of a physical gold ecosystem at DBS, including tokenization and distribution of gold tokens, as a notable initiative. With safety remaining paramount, custodians must prioritize trust and asset safeguarding to build resilience in the evolving landscape of digital and traditional investing.",
  "summary": "As investor demand for digital asset exposure increases, so do the demands on custodians. DBS’ Group Head of Financial Institutions, Securities & Fiduciary Services, Global Transaction Services, Ee Fong Soh, shares how the bank supports clients in the new reality of traditional and digital asset coexistence. The post Custody Evolution In the Era of Asset Convergence appeared first on Global…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Global Finance",
        "title": "Custody Evolution In the Era of Asset Convergence",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/19/custody-evolution-in-the-era-of-asset-convergence",
        "published": "2026-08-19T09:17:28.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}