Ant Intl & UBS Partner for Blockchain Cross-Border Payments
Ant International, the global arm of Ant Group, has partnered with UBS to modernize its treasury and payments infrastructure using blockchain payments.
Under a new memorandum of understanding, Ant will integrate UBS Digital Cash into its Whale platform. This integration enables real-time, multi-currency fund flows and removes traditional banking cut-off restrictions.
Both firms will jointly develop tokenized deposits, which are digital representations of bank deposits that can settle instantly on blockchain rails. They will explore use cases in Hong Kong’s Project Ensemble sandbox, where pilot transfers have demonstrated real-value settlement.
The partnership aims to boost blockchain payments and cross-border liquidity. Ant continues its shift towards blockchain-first infrastructure and is evaluating stablecoin licensing. The focus remains on compliant digital cash and tokenized money to drive efficient global commerce.
Bullish
This partnership marks a significant step toward institutional adoption of blockchain payments and tokenized deposits. By enabling real-time, cross-border liquidity flows and removing banking cut-off restrictions, it reduces friction in global settlements. Similar initiatives, such as JPMorgan’s Onyx and Project Ubin, enhanced market confidence and spurred investment in blockchain infrastructure. In the short term, traders may react positively to the prospect of compliant, efficient payment rails, boosting sector sentiment. Over the long term, widespread use of digital cash and tokenized assets could drive demand for blockchain solutions and catalyze further innovation in cross-border finance.