Global capital markets are entering a transformative era.
For decades, institutions have managed assets through fragmented systems designed for a different time. Settlement cycles stretch across days; capital sits idle during processing; and access to certain asset classes is limited to select investors. Today, new market infrastructure is changing that and the implications are profound.
At the heart of this shift is the ability to interact with assets in real time. Settlements that once took two to five days can now occur in seconds. Capital that would otherwise be tied up becomes immediately productive and reusable. Investors gain round-the-clock access and e-commerce-like experience, minus the operational friction, as blockchain provides a shared infrastructure that removes the need for data reconciliation, duplicated record-keeping, and administrative delays.
This is more than incremental efficiency. It opens entirely new channels for investment and liquidity. Assets can now be used as collateral, allowing investors to borrow against holdings rather than selling them. Capital becomes flexible, and investors can respond to market opportunities with unprecedented speed.
Major institutions believe the future of financial markets will be on blockchain. In May 2025, Apex Group acquired Tokeny, a leading tokenisation technology provider. In a recent press release, its CEO Peter Hughes mentioned his desire to bring in $100 billion in tokenised assets for current clients in the coming year. Blockchain is becoming the internet of capital markets, enabling seamless movement of assets, cash, and liquidity at scale.
The practical benefits are already visible. In the United States, Apex Group is supporting the tokenisation of a $300 million hedge fund for Skybridge, reducing settlement friction and allowing their investors to engage more efficiently. In Luxembourg, a tokenised note instrument is opening access to institutional Bitcoin mining, a market previously limited by high barriers to entry. Even in the real asset sector, tokenisation is making previously expensive properties accessible to a broader pool of investors, showing how infrastructure innovation can even out market access.
A new generation of investors is also reshaping expectations. Estimates suggest that $80 trillion will transfer to younger investors who demand digital access, instant execution, and tailored portfolios. In the near term, many will rely on AI agents to manage wealth in real time. But AI can only act effectively when assets are actionable with always-on accessibility and where decisions can be executed immediately, without waiting for legacy settlement cycles.
These developments highlight a future of finance where decision-making and execution increasingly converge. AI can continuously watch markets and enhance portfolios, while blockchain infrastructure enables decisions to be executed instantly.
This defines a new era where transactions settle immediately; markets remain open 24/7 to a broader set of participants; and assets can move seamlessly across platforms, including being used as collateral to unlock liquidity.
This shift will fundamentally reshape how assets are distributed and accessed. Investment opportunities will no longer be confined to traditional channels but will be made available directly to investors and increasingly to AI-driven systems managing portfolios in real time. Investors will gain access to assets that were previously out of reach, opening up new possibilities for diversification, efficiency, and opportunity.
The era of frictionless, accessible, and flexible capital markets is here, and the way we interact with assets will never be the same.
* This article was originally published by The London Standard and has been republished with permission.
