Standard Chartered CEO says interoperability key to unlocking tokenisation potential
Standard Chartered Group CEO Bill Winters says stablecoins and tokenised deposits are increasingly important for agentic commerce, and interoperability requires collaboration among banks, regulators, infrastructure providers and technology vendors.
Standard Chartered Group Chief Executive Bill Winters has said that as agentic commerce develops, digital currencies such as stablecoins and tokenised deposits, along with related regulatory mechanisms, are becoming increasingly important. He stressed that interoperability is crucial to fully realising the potential of tokenisation, and that this requires the joint participation of banks, regulators, market infrastructure providers and technology vendors, rather than any single institution driving the effort alone.
Speaking at the Hong Kong Fintech Week event, Winters said the group's Hong Kong dollar stablecoin, HKDAP, will in future complement tokenised deposits. He added that Standard Chartered will continue to work with various stakeholders to improve the relevant ecosystem, with the hope of gradually expanding from Hong Kong to other markets. As more application scenarios are implemented, this will further promote the tokenisation of other real-world assets.
Winters noted that innovation must be built on a sound trust framework and user protection. He highlighted the positive interaction between Hong Kong and mainland China in financial innovation, with Hong Kong serving as a testing platform to drive cutting-edge innovation on a safe and sound basis. He added that such experience could serve as a reference for Asia and global markets, and would help Hong Kong exert greater influence in global financial policy and standard setting.
Winters also said that artificial intelligence is driving the financial industry beyond traditional stages of development, opening up new business models, products and services. He stressed that as banks seize these opportunities, they must also maintain the highest standards of information security. With the expanding application of AI, Standard Chartered has been actively providing retraining and transition support for its employees, helping them grasp the new opportunities brought by AI.