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HSBC Orion – The Global Solution for Digital Assets

Discover our innovative digital assets platform – designed to meet your unique needs.
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Leveraging the power of distributed ledger technology (DLT) for digital bonds, tokenised gold and custody.

The world of digital assets is evolving. HSBC Orion aims to help clients navigate this transformation and take advantage of opportunities in digital assets.

Over the next 15 years, digital assets are expected to grow in value to around $16 trillion. Nearly 40% of financial market participants are currently using some form of DLT or digital assets¹.

Tokenisation can help improve access to assets and support liquidity through fractionalisation and create efficiencies across asset lifecycles.

We can help institutional clients navigate through this transformation and take advantage of opportunities in the new digital assets ecosystem.

Access the Next Generation of Digital Assets

DLT, including blockchain, is the enabling technology for any kind of digital assets representation. HSBC Orion hosts a variety of digital assets solutions for our clients. HSBC Orion can be used for creating, settling and recording digital bonds. It can also be used to purchase physical gold which is represented by digital tokens. HSBC Orion is expanding even further, with a new digital custody service coming soon.

Since its launch, HSBC Orion has led the way in the digitalisation of the capital market infrastructure. It facilitated the launch of the European Investment Bank's first-ever digital bond in pound sterling2 and helped HSBC to be the first bank in the world to offer tokenised ownership in physical gold3.

HSBC Orion Capabilities

We are developing a comprehensive DLT platform to support you on your digital assets journey.

1. Your Partner of Choice for Digital Bonds

Key Features⁴

  • Distinct architecture patterns to support both private and public blockchain connectivity

  • Atomic on-chain delivery-versus-payment (DvP) settlement

  • Settlement using fiat currency – no cryptocurrency or stablecoin is involved in the process

  • Complemented with full-HSBC franchise expertise to support a comprehensive lifecycle service offering, including primary issuance, settlement, secondary trading, custody, repo financing and collateralisation

  • International track record and versatile operating model for various jurisdictions, currently deployed in Hong Kong and Luxembourg

  • In Hong Kong, HSBC Orion is operated by the Hong Kong Monetary Authority’s Central Moneymarkets Unit (HKMA’s CMU) for creating, settling and recording digital bonds. Issuer and investor access is facilitated through integration with existing CMU infrastructure and external linkages to international central securities depositories (Euroclear and Clearstream).

  • In Luxembourg, HSBC Orion is designed and built to reflect the two-tier account structure under the Luxembourg DLT regime, with HSBC being the Central Account Keeper, and Secondary Account Keeper (Custodian).

HSBC Orion gives you an opportunity to invest in or issue digitally native bonds on the DLT platform – covering the end-to-end asset lifecycle from issuance to redemption.

HSBC Orion – Hong Kong Factsheet

2. Pioneering Gold Tokenisation

HSBC Orion enables an innovative and market-leading solution for clients to own physical gold held in HSBC's vault in London via an efficient creation/redemption process supported by DLT. HSBC Orion Gold is:

  • The simple, cost-effective way to own physical gold
  • Easy to use via an efficient digital overlay to existing systems
  • Representing ownership details to physical gold recorded and maintained on an in-house, private permissioned DLT operated by HSBC
  • Powering HSBC Gold Token, which is available to HSBC retail clients in Hong Kong

HSBC Orion – Gold Token Factsheet

3. Developing a Next-Generation Custody Service for Digital Assets

The increasing use of DLT capabilities presents wide applications for creation and custody of digital assets. As the market for digital securities evolves, custody infrastructure will play a critical role for issuers and investors. HSBC Orion is developing a new service that will facilitate investor access to the digital assets custody infrastructure in a seamless, integrated to existing systems, secure and scalable way.

HSBC is one of the world’s largest global custodians, covering more than 90 markets. We are currently developing a new digital assets custody service – expected in 2024 — therefore further expanding our digital assets capabilities and providing clients with a comprehensive HSBC Orion platform for accessing digital assets.

Awards and Press Releases

2024

Platform Enabler of the Year

Deloitte's Digital Assets Awards

Digital Asset Initiative/Platform of the Year

Global Custodian Editors' Choice Awards APAC 2024

Most Innovative Banks Globally 2024

Global Finance

Announcing HSBC's New Digital Assets Custody Service

HSBC is the first Bank in the World to offer Tokenised Gold

Reinventing asset servicing with distributed ledger technology

HSBC Orion delivers the European Investment Bank’s latest digital bond, settling in wholesale CBDC

Explore More Insights

Beyond Asset Tokenisation

The investment landscape is always evolving, now faster than ever with new innovations that are transforming the ecosystem in profound ways. HSBC in collaboration with Northern Trust explains how the evolution in asset servicing will change the financial services landscape.

Exploring the Universe of Digital Assets and HSBC Orion

In this candid deep dive, our guests identify the emerging use cases for tokenisation, touch on the future trends that could accelerate the adoption of digital assets, and explore the challenges that HSBC’s Orion platform is addressing for corporate treasurers in a tokenisation context.

Insights

Explore our industry insights and banking capabilities in a simpler way

Need help?

For more information, please contact your HSBC representative.