CIMB is laying the groundwork for tokenised bond and sukuk issuance as regulators advance securities tokenisation in Malaysia.
The group said it will develop tokenised financial services covering assets, settlement and payment infrastructure under the Securities Commission Malaysia’s industry pilot programme on securities tokenisation. The initiatives will be rolled out in phases.
The bank is also engaging Bank Negara Malaysia to seek admission into the Digital Asset Innovation Hub.
Novan Amirudin, Group Chief Executive Officer of CIMB Group, said,
“CIMB is pleased to play a leading role in advancing Malaysia’s evolution towards a modern, resilient financial market infrastructure.
In line with our purpose of advancing customers and society and our Forward30 strategic plan, we are strengthening our digital and tokenisation capabilities to address real opportunities and democratise market access across the banking and financial ecosystem.”
As an early step, CIMB has committed to the tokenised sukuk issuance pilot project by Khazanah Nasional Berhad and the Securities Commission.
The bank will support the programme across structuring, execution, custody arrangements and lifecycle servicing. The pilot is expected to run through 2026.
CIMB said it has issued about RM40 billion in conventional bonds and Islamic sukuk in Malaysia over the past three years.
As digital asset capabilities mature, the group plans to issue part of its future funding in tokenised bond and sukuk formats.
The bank said its tokenisation efforts focus on improving efficiency across payments and capital markets.
CIMB is also developing capabilities to support tokenised deposits for use in settling tokenised securities.
The bank said tokenised deposits could reduce manual processing and reconciliation, while improving transparency and operational efficiency.
“Well-designed asset tokenisation offers several potential advantages to fundamentally transform the industry especially in terms of accessibility, efficiency and transparency particularly across payments and wholesale banking.
We will begin with practical, use-case-driven applications, implemented within the regulatory frameworks and underpinned by strong governance and controls. Through close collaboration with partners such as Khazanah Nasional Berhad, we aim to scale innovation responsibly and deliver tangible value to the market,”
Novan added.
CIMB said it is working closely with Bank Negara Malaysia and the Securities Commission to ensure the programme aligns with regulatory expectations.
Any product rollout will be subject to legal requirements, internal approvals and technology readiness.
Featured image: Edited by Fintech News Malaysia, based on image by CIMB
