QNB Group, Standard Chartered And DMZ Finance Launch DIFC's First Tokenised Money Market Fund

QNB Group , Standard Chartered and DMZ Finance jointly announced that the Dubai International Financial Centre's (DIFC) first regulated tokenised money market fund, the QCD Money Market Fund (units in QCDT), has been officially launched, setting an industry benchmark for Real World Asset (RWA) tokenisation in the Middle East.

The fund is initiated and underlying investment is managed by QNB Group, the largest bank in the Middle East and Africa, with DMZ Finance serving as co-initiator and exclusive provider of tokenisation infrastructure. The fund appointed Capricorn Fund Managers (DIFC) Limited (CFMD) to act as the fund manager, while Standard Chartered, one of the world's leading international banks, serves as custodian of the QCD Money Market Fund, providing custody of the underlying assets. In 2024, Standard Chartered officially launched its regulated digital asset custody services in the DIFC.

As the first regulated tokenised money market fund in the DIFC, QCD Money Market Fund demonstrates comprehensive advantages in authority, compliance, security, liquidity and market positioning. Its applications are broad: QNB Group recognised QCDT as eligible collateral and the QCDT will soon be adopted as a mirrored collateral asset by leading global exchanges. RWA is rapidly becoming the essential bridge between TradFi and DeFi.

Silas Lee, CEO of QNB Singapore, said:“The official launch of QCDT, a tokenised money market fund, marks a pivotal advancement using blockchain technology to empower investors to seamlessly integrate high-quality, yield-bearing assets from traditional finance into the digital economy. This fund brings the stability of traditional assets such as US Treasury bills and US dollar-denominated deposits into a digital token, making them more accessible, liquid, transparent and more importantly, ready for use in smart contracts on blockchains such as collaterals for trading credits and loans. QNB Group together with our partner DMZ Finance, is extremely proud to be at the forefront of bringing this initiative to a wider pool of investors across traditional finance and the digital world. We believe we are at the beginning of something exciting and as the market continues to evolve, we are committed to stay ahead of the curve and help define the banking of the future.”

Rola Abu Manneh, chief executive officer for the UAE, Middle East and Pakistan at Standard Chartered, added:“The launch of QCDT represents a milestone for the UAE's financial sector, reinforcing its position as a global centre for innovation in regulated digital assets. With DIFC providing the regulatory framework, this initiative builds on the UAE's wider ambition to lead in the development of tokenised markets. As custodian of the fund's assets, Standard Chartered is focused on delivering the trusted infrastructure that international investors expect, while supporting the convergence of traditional and digital finance. In doing so, we aim to further strengthen the UAE's role as a bridge for global capital flows and a hub for the next generation of financial services.”

Nathan Ma, Co-Founder and Chairman of DMZ Finance, stated:“As the first fund under the QCD umbrella of tokenized funds, QCDT effectively connects exchanges with institutional clients. With strict asset segregation and deep collaboration with banking partners, QCDT will unlock significant potential in addressing liquidity needs. Upon launch, major institutional clients and listed companies have started coming on board. As a trusted and powerful RWA infrastructure, DMZ is expanding its global footprint from Asia-Pacific to the Middle East, committed to driving the convergence of compliant tokenized assets across traditional and decentralised finance.”

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