Deutsche Börse Group is to acquire the remaining shares in FundsDLT, a Luxembourg-based company which uses distributed ledger technology for fund distribution and processing.
FundsDLT is playing a key role in the development of D7, a new cloud-backed and DLT-ready platform from the German exchange operator that will deliver same-day-issuance and paperless, automated straight-through processing for the entire value chain of issuance, custody, settlement, payment and asset servicing for digital securities.
Already a significant minority shareholder, Deutsche Börse has bought out former stakeholders Credit Suisse Asset Management as well as Natixis Investment Managers.
“The acquisition of FundsDLT is a critical and natural step in our digital strategy. It demonstrates our position at the forefront of innovation and will redefine the overall distribution chain of the fund business,” states Philippe Seyll, CEO of Clearstream Fund Centre. “It enriches distribution capabilities, is streamlining operations and bringing asset managers closer to retail clients through blockchain. We will see measurable benefits for market participants, including faster time to market and cheaper access to funds,”
He says the acquisition will enable the technology to move to a more industrial scale, complementing Clearstream’s current fund processing and distribution offering.
Olivier Portenseigne, CEO of FundsDLT, says: “Our goal is to enable fund distributors and asset managers, thanks to blockchain and fund tokenization, to simplify their business and operating model and roll out the technology foundation to enable their clients to connect to fund products anywhere, in an easier and in a more cost-effective manner."