Standard Chartered Group CEO Bill Winters has suggested that the global financial system is approaching a structural shift, driven largely by blockchain-based settlement systems and fully digital forms of money. While speaking at the Hong Kong FinTech Week event, he indicated that the future of international transactions would eventually move away from traditional rails and rely almost entirely on blockchain networks.
Winters conveyed that the industry was moving toward a phase in which conventional settlement processes would be replaced by digital alternatives, noting that governments, regulators, and private sector entities would need to experiment collaboratively to achieve this transition. He implied that such a change would amount to a complete redesign of the existing financial architecture rather than a marginal upgrade.
Standard Chartered, headquartered in London and dual-listed in London and Hong Kong, has been among the earliest major banking institutions to take an active role in blockchain adoption. The bank already operates services tied to digital asset custody, tokenized products, and blockchain-based trading platforms. Winters acknowledged Hong Kong’s role in accelerating regulatory clarity and innovation in this space, pointing to the city’s efforts to establish itself as a regional digital asset hub under the guidance of its financial leadership.
He referenced Hong Kong’s licensing structure for digital asset exchanges and its growing list of tokenization pilots, sectors in which Standard Chartered has taken part. Tokenized assets, referring to digital forms of traditional instruments ranging from bonds to commodities, continue to gain traction as they allow blockchain-based issuance and settlement.
One of the bank’s current projects involves the development of a Hong Kong dollar-backed stablecoin in partnership with Animoca Brands and HKT. Winters views the initiative as a foundational step toward enabling blockchain-enabled international trade settlement and next-generation payment systems.
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The comments align with views expressed by other influential financial executives. Robinhood’s Vlad Tenev has described tokenization as a rapid and unstoppable trend expected to reach mainstream adoption within a few years. BlackRock chief Larry Fink has similarly indicated that tokenized securities will likely spread across all major asset classes, transforming global investing models.
In parallel with its blockchain agenda, Standard Chartered’s innovation arm, SC Ventures, is preparing to establish a USD 250 million fund by 2026 focused on digital assets and financial services technologies with investor backing from the Middle East. SC Ventures executive Gautam Jain recently outlined plans for the fund during a fintech event in Riyadh, noting that the focus areas would include tokenization, blockchain and regulated digital asset startups. The firm also intends to create a USD 100 million Africa-focused fund and is evaluating the launch of its first venture debt fund.
Founded in 2018, SC Ventures has rapidly expanded its presence across regions. This year, it launched its Saudi Arabian operations and intends to develop a domestic investment fund by 2026, targeting minority stakes in local ventures. Early 2025 also marked a milestone for Standard Chartered, as it secured a crypto custody license in Luxembourg under the EU’s MiCA framework. This followed its earlier approval in Dubai, where it launched crypto custody services after receiving regulatory clearance from the DFSA.
With blockchain, tokenization, and digital finance gaining momentum, Standard Chartered appears to be positioning itself at the intersection of regulated finance and Web3-enabled settlement systems. The bank’s leadership maintains that the transformation underway is not theoretical but an inevitable phase of financial evolution.