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World's First Blockchain Based Bond ready for Launch.
The World Bank is collaborating with the Commonwealth Bank of Australia (CBA) to launch the first blockchain based global bond. The initiative is already catching the interest of investors in the new debt instrument. Applying the blockchain will help reduce a lot of processes between intermediaries and agents in the debt capital market. It can also improve operations and regulations.
The World Bank had revealed that about $50-60 billion is issued annually in bonds just for sustainable development. World Bank treasurer, Arunma Oteh explained: “Since our first bond transaction in 1947, innovation and investor satisfaction have been important hallmarks of our success with leveraging capital markets for development.
“Today, we believe that emerging technologies, equally offer transformative, yet prudent possibilities for us to continue to innovate, respond to investor needs and strengthen markets.
“We are therefore delighted that after working with our information technology colleagues and the Commonwealth Bank of Australia over several months, that we are now in a position to launch our first blockchain bond transaction. CBA’s commitment and Microsoft’s wealth of experience have been instrumental to achieving this historic milestone.”
The platform which is built by the CBA Blockchain Centre of Excellence. The CBA team has been dedicated to putting out the bond-i platform and has acted as a lead manager for a number of IBRD bond issuances in the Australian and New Zealand capital markets since 2009. The teams is keeping its focus on applying the blockchain to capital markets.
