Itaú joins Brazil tokenization pilot with OpenAssets
Reported by Cointelegraph · AI-assisted summary by ChikoCorp AI News Desk
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Summary
Itaú, the largest private sector bank in Latin America, has partnered with digital asset infrastructure provider OpenAssets to join a pilot project testing the tokenization of fixed-income securities and investment funds in Brazil. The project is led by the Brazilian Financial and Capital Markets Association (ANBIMA), which is exploring issuance, trading, and settlement of capital market instruments via distributed ledger technology (DLT). Itaú brings capital markets expertise while OpenAssets supplies the tokenization infrastructure.
Why it matters
The pilot could help define how tokenized assets operate within institutional and regulatory frameworks in Brazil, potentially influencing the future of capital markets infrastructure. By assessing operational, compliance, and technological requirements for tokenized assets, the initiative aims to advance understanding and adoption of DLT in fixed-income markets.
Key context
ANBIMA selected 20 use cases for this pilot in April from 39 proposals submitted by over 50 financial and technology firms. The tests use a private, permissioned DLT network in a simulated environment, meaning no real financial transactions are involved yet. The broader market for tokenized real-world assets has more than doubled in value over the past year, according to RWA.xyz, highlighting growing interest in this area globally.
Key numbers and entities
Itaú (Latin America’s largest private sector bank), OpenAssets (digital asset infrastructure provider), ANBIMA (Brazilian Financial and Capital Markets Association), 20 use cases selected for the pilot from 39 proposals by 50+ firms, tokenized asset market value rose from about $18.9 billion in August 2025 to $38.3 billion today. US Treasury debt dominates with over $16 billion tokenized.
What remains unclear
The announcement does not specify precise timelines for pilot completion or when tokenized instruments might move beyond simulation to real-market deployment. It also does not provide detail on the pilot’s specific operational or compliance challenges encountered so far.