Since the advent of Bitcoin in 2009, the profile of blockchain – a combination of distributed ledger technology (DLT) with a variety of block-based encryption technologies – has soared. While there has been a great deal of volatility and speculation in certain virtual assets and another blockchain-related financing, including a high-profile peak in 2018, there is now wide consensus regarding the value of blockchain and other forms of DLT in finance. While Facebook’s announcement of Libra was probably the highest profile example, the most important examples going forward are likely to come as blockchain plays an increasing role in financial infrastructure such as securities settlement, in monetary and payments systems through central bank digital currencies, and in the context of liquidity and access to financing through tokenization, in particular security token offerings. Going forward, the real value of the underlying technologies of Bitcoin and cryptocurrencies comes in the form of its role in security, in transparency, in permanence, each of which is essential to financial markets efficiency, trust and confidence, as well as safety and soundness.
