Depository Trust & Clearing Corporation (DTCC), one of the world’s largest financial clearing and settlement institutions, is preparing to integrate Chainlink infrastructure into its collateral management platform to enhance cross-chain asset handling. According to DTCC’s statement, this integration is targeted to go live in the fourth quarter of 2026.
Real-time asset monitoring at the core
DTCC’s Collateral AppChain platform serves as a shared backbone for major financial sector entities—including custodians, tri-party agents, and collateral managers. Designed to facilitate near-instant transfers, valuation, and automated cross-blockchain collateral movement, the platform leverages Chainlink’s decentralized oracle technology to deliver real-world data on-chain. This is expected to automate a wide range of functions, from margin activities to collateral optimization and transfer processes.
DTCC currently safeguards a combined $114 trillion in assets ranging from stocks to exchange-traded funds. The recently announced integration marks a new chapter as traditional markets strive to bridge operations with the realm of digital assets and cryptocurrencies.
Digitization demand grows among market players
According to DTCC, the Collateral AppChain will bring together collateral agreements, continuous and up-to-date pricing, valuation, and asset movement data. The aim is to provide round-the-clock collateral management and deliver improved capital efficiency for institutional clients.
A recent Nasdaq survey indicates that 52% of financial sector companies plan to handle live tokenized collateral by the end of 2026. However, nearly 70% of the surveyed banks, custodians, and asset managers still face daily delivery and settlement challenges due to manual processes.
DTCC emphasized in its announcement that the integration’s purpose is to combine collateral agreements, pricing, valuation, and asset transfer across different markets, achieving around-the-clock automation and efficiency by the end of 2026.
Rising momentum for blockchain adoption
DTCC’s new initiative with Chainlink aligns with a broader global trend toward adopting blockchain-based securities settlement. In March, Intercontinental Exchange, the parent company of the New York Stock Exchange, revealed its partnership with Securitize to build instant blockchain settlement infrastructure for stocks and funds.
At the same time, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission approved Nasdaq’s pilot for trading tokenized versions of select Russell 1000 stocks and major index funds. Additionally, Nasdaq began working with crypto exchange Kraken and the firm Backed to develop blockchain-powered equity trading systems.
Recent figures show the on-chain value of tokenized stocks surged from $511 million to $1.4 billion over the past year—a jump of around 180%.
Alongside DTCC, leading players in traditional finance are accelerating their investment in blockchain and tokenization-focused infrastructure. Collectively, these efforts point toward a future where conventional markets and digital asset ecosystems become increasingly connected.
