The London Stock Exchange Group (LSE) is intensifying its efforts to create a blockchain-driven trading platform, as confirmed by a senior executive in a recent statement to the Financial Times.

Murray Roos, the head of capital markets at LSE Group, revealed that the organization has entrusted Julia Hoggett, head of the London Stock Exchange, with leading this ambitious project.

Roos clarified that the primary focus of this initiative is not to support cryptocurrency assets but to leverage blockchain technology to enhance the efficiency, transparency, and cost-effectiveness of the trading process for traditional assets.

He stated, “The idea is to use digital technology to make a process that is slicker, smoother, cheaper, and more transparent… and to have it regulated.”

Asset Tokenization Gains Traction

The LSE’s exploration of blockchain is in line with a broader trend in the traditional financial sector, where various market operators are considering the potential applications of blockchain technology.

Larry Fink, CEO of BlackRock, mentioned in a shareholder letter in March the possibility of tokenizing asset classes to drive efficiencies in capital markets, streamline value chains, and enhance cost-effectiveness and accessibility for investors.

In July, the Bank for International Settlements (BIS) published a report highlighting the tokenization of claims on real-world assets as a potential avenue for collaboration between traditional finance and cryptocurrencies. The BIS also suggested that such tokenization could stimulate the growth of the cryptocurrency market as new capital flows into tokenized assets.