OCBC has rolled out a tokenized physical gold fund, bringing real-world asset exposure on-chain for institutional investors.
Summary
- OCBC launched the GOLDX token on Ethereum and Solana, offering institutional investors access to a tokenized physical gold fund.
- The token provides exposure to the LionGlobal Singapore Physical Gold Fund, which held about $525 million in assets as of mid-April.
- The move comes as tokenized real-world assets on public blockchains cross $29 billion, with major banks expanding into blockchain-based financial products.
OCBC said the product was launched in partnership with Lion Global Investors and digital asset exchange DigiFT, with the GOLDX token issued on both the Ethereum and Solana blockchains. The bank stated that the token can be subscribed to using either fiat or stablecoins, with allocations delivered directly to investors’ blockchain wallets after purchase.
Institutional participation remains the core focus, with the offering designed for hedge funds, asset managers, and other large investors seeking exposure to gold through blockchain-based infrastructure. The move places OCBC among a growing list of global banks that are moving regulated financial products on-chain.
“We believe digital assets will play an increasingly important role in financial services and our focus is on bridging traditional finance with the emerging world of decentralized finance,” Kenneth Lai, head of global markets at OCBC, said in an accompanying statement.
GOLDX provides on-chain exposure to the LionGlobal Singapore Physical Gold Fund, a vehicle launched in December that held around $525 million in assets under management as of April 16. The structure allows investors to access physically backed gold without relying on traditional settlement systems, while still maintaining a link to real-world reserves.
Interest in tokenized real-world assets has accelerated through 2026, with total value on public blockchains rising above $29 billion, marking a gain of more than 10% over the past month, according to rwa.xyz data. Gold-linked products have emerged as one of the segments drawing institutional attention, particularly as geopolitical tensions and currency concerns sustain demand for safe-haven assets.
OCBC’s latest move builds on earlier blockchain experiments, including a tokenized equity-linked note introduced for accredited investors in 2023. The bank reported total assets of about $526 billion as of December 2025, positioning it among Southeast Asia’s largest financial institutions adopting tokenization.
Large banks have been moving in a similar direction. In December 2025, JPMorgan launched a $100 million tokenized money market fund on the Ethereum mainnet via its Kinexys platform, targeting institutional cash management with near-real-time settlement. The initiative marked a step away from permissioned systems toward public blockchain infrastructure for regulated products.
Tokenized gold has also taken different forms across the market. As covered on crypto.news before, Standard Chartered-backed Libeara introduced the MG 999 fund in Singapore, offering synthetic exposure to gold rather than holding physical bullion, while combining the structure with lending to jewelry retailers.
OCBC’s approach leans on physical backing, aligning more closely with traditional fund structures while using blockchain rails for distribution and settlement. The bank said that the product is intended to attract participants from both conventional finance and crypto-native environments, particularly high-net-worth individuals and firms already operating within digital asset ecosystems.
