DBS Launches Tokenized Structured Notes on Ethereum for Wider Market Access

Highlights:

• DBS has announced plans to launch its unique tokenized structured notes on the Ethereum network.
• The banking firm noted that the move will expand institutional investors’ access to complex products that could help boost their crypto portfolio.
• DBS structured its notes to pay investors in cash when crypto prices appreciate and limit losses when prices plummet.

On August 21, Singapore’s leading bank, DBS, announced new plans to roll out tokenized structured notes on the Ethereum public blockchain. The move will expand institutional investors’ access to sophisticated financial products, which were previously reserved for only private clients.

According to the announcement, only eligible and accredited investors can access the structured notes via selected Singapore exchanges like ADDX, DigiFT, and HydraX. By partnering with these trading platforms, DBS aims to make its product accessible to non-DBS clients. The banking institution also noted that beyond tokenizing crypto-linked notes, it plans to tokenize traditional equity and credit-linked notes in the future.

Commenting on the development, Li Zhen, head of foreign exchange and digital assets, global financial markets, DBS, stated:

“Since 2021, DBS has been active in scaling this ecosystem by fostering responsible innovation, enabling tokenization to meet real market demand and make financial markets more efficient and accessible.”

Singapore’s largest bank, DBS, has announced the issuance of tokenized structured notes on the Ethereum public blockchain, available to qualified and institutional investors through local exchanges ADDX, DigiFT, and HydraX. The first product is a participatory note linked to…

— Wu Blockchain (@WuBlockchain) August 21, 2025

Nature of DBS Structured Notes

DBS stated that its new structured notes will track cryptocurrency prices and pay investors in cash when crypto appreciates. It will also protect them from major cryptocurrency price declines. Notably, the structured notes require a minimum investment of about $100,000, making them customized and non-fungible. With tokenization, DBS aims to create smaller individual tokens for cheaper access.

DBS added:

“These characteristics enable investors to subscribe to and trade structured note tokens with greater flexibility and precision, helping them manage portfolios with greater agility and resilience amidst market volatility.”

DBS, one of Asia’s largest banks, has launched tokenized structured notes on Ethereum

Not just to jump on the tokenization trend, but to meaningfully reduce the minimum investment size from $100K to just $1K.

The fractionalization prophecy is starting to play out in real time.…

— Ryan De Souza (@_ryandesouza) August 21, 2025

Tokenization Significance

According to DBS, Demand for tokenized products has skyrocketed as investors seek to expand their digital asset portfolios. From January to June 2025, DBS clients traded over $1 billion in tokenized assets. In addition, trade volumes rose by 60% in this year’s Q2, highlighting growing investor interest in the product.

DBS noted that its new initiative aligns with Singapore’s push to become a global centre for trading tokenized assets. Notably, the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) is testing projects that could improve foreign exchange and investment funds operations through tokenization. Some of these projects include Project Guardian and other international systems like Global Layer One.

The US Continues to Dominate Tokenization Operations

In one of its old publications, Crypto2community reported that Coinbase is planning to launch tokenized stocks and prediction markets for its US customers. Coinbase described the initiative as an “everything exchange made for US users.” Max Branzburg, Coinbase’s Vice President of Product, spoke on the exchange’s plans for the new product rollout. He confirmed that the products will first debut in the United States before expanding to other regions.

eToro, another trading and investment platform, announced plans to launch its unique tokenized trading of US stocks, futures, and Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs) on the Ethereum blockchain. The company’s CEO, Yoni Assia, confirmed the plans, noting that users can access leading US-listed equity shares from the platform on 24/5 stock trading.

The CEO commented on how tokenization has made financial operations clearer, transparent, and borderless. He also applauded how crypto regulatory bodies, including Market in Crypto-Assets (MiCA) and the Genius Act in the United States, are making tokenized assets safer options for institutional investors.