A synthesis of the front-line experiences and operational hurdles encountered by major European institutions in the transition to digital registers.
Institutional research (led by major institutional trial groups and market participants) confirms that while the blockchain "issuance" layer is functional, the market lacks the unified cash layer (Wholesale CBDC) and regulatory uniformity required for mass adoption.
While the legal framework for digital registers exists (e.g., eWpG in Germany, DLT Pilot Regime in EU), a lack of global harmonization creates cross-border friction. Institutions identify the "Level Playing Field" as a prerequisite—digital securities must achieve operational parity with traditional securities to be considered "safe" by conservative asset managers.
The digitalization of the "Asset Side" (bonds) is meaningless without the digitalization of the "Cash Side." True Delivery vs. Payment (DvP) requires a programmable cash layer. Currently, the industry is split between three competing standards:
Stakeholders identify four primary hurdles currently slowing down institutional momentum:
Citation: Research inspired by major European banking institutional outlooks 2026.
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